T&H: Luigi's Story
by Shana Hager
Summary: Rewrite of Book 1 of Tiers and Hopes. Something's gone wrong in the happy-go-lucky world of Nintendo...and that "something" is the tier list! What was supposed to be a party game threatens to take a dark turn as a simple piece of paper draws battle lines. But one Smasher won't stand for this. Rated T for alcohol use, some language, action violence and thematic elements.
1. Unveiling the List

**Unveiling The List**

Before the unification of several different gaming entities, the Super Smash Bros tournament was a low-key get-together comprising of twelve representatives from the Nintendo universe. The idea was engendered by the mysterious but benevolent Master Hand, who decided to knock down the borders between Nintendo's different worlds by calling the Original Twelve together to test their skills, first against one another, and finally against him. He left time for fun and games, too, quickly establishing several lounges, a spa, lodging for the fighters, a Training Room and goodness knows what else. Thanks to the giant glove's efforts, deep friendships had sprung up among the twelve in no time.

It started off something like this. On April 26, 1999, the Original Twelve entered the halls of the Smash Mansion for the first time. Master Hand quickly situated them in a spacious room known as the Reception Area for an initial bonding period and to introduce himself and explain how the tournament would be organized. After introductions, MH, as he came to be nicknamed, assigned the Smashers to their own bedrooms and declared the rest of the day a "leisure day".

The next morning, everyone woke up at around 7a.m. and sat in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. After breakfast, MH summoned everyone to the Assembly Hall to announce that the tournament's first matches had been arranged. Those and future matches would be tacked onto a corkboard in the Main Hall. After everyone got a good look at their schedule for the day, they retreated to the lounge for some last minute decompression. The fighters headed off to meet their opponents at 9a.m. sharp.

Master Hand was extremely pleased by what he saw that day, and the days after. Not only by the bonds forged, but also by the tenacity displayed on the battlefield. Organizing this was a shot in the dark, and it appeared to have paid off.

Yet a few weeks later, the dynamic of the tournament would take a dramatic turn. And it all began with a piece of paper…

…the tier list.

**…**

Master Hand brought his giant palm down on his alarm clock and groggily floated out of bed. He went straight to the shower, doused himself with cold water and then took a four-minute shower before drying off, attending to his toilette and then fixing himself a hearty meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and French toast. Once he was full, he sounded the breakfast call for the Smashers and retreated to his office.

He sat at his desk, booted up his computer and signed in to his dial-up Internet service. As soon as he clicked on his e-mail account:

"You've got mail!"

And important mail, no less. The e-mail was from Mr. Sakurai, the tournament's financier. After receiving glowing reports from MH, he had decided to increase the funds to help cover the Smashers' expenses. But that wasn't what his email was about.

A team of well-seasoned gamers, led by Mr. Sakurai, had composed a tier list to serve as a springboard for competitive play. MH wasn't wild about the tier list—he was certain that it would instill more hostile competition among his fighters, and he didn't want that. But then again, Sakurai was keeping the dough flowing in, and he knew what was best for Smash. So why complain?

MH looked the document over for a minute or so. Then, he clicked "Print".

Low whining and humming filled the air as the printer slowly inched the piece of paper from its mouth. MH's fingers hovered outside its cavernous maw as the machine worked its magic. And with one last hum, it expelled the warm paper, MH grasping it and holding it up where he could see.

"Very nice," he murmured.

He began the leisurely journey from his office to the Main Hall, allowing the tier list to dangle from his fingers. To get to the Main Hall, he first had to traverse the Housing Area, where the twelve bedrooms were located. Doors opened slightly, curious pairs of eyes peeping out at the powerful entity and the paper he had in his fingers. Master Hand knew they were watching, but he paid them no mind. He'd let them discover what he was holding on their own.

Out of one door peeped Nintendo's unofficial spokesperson and Smash's all-around fighter, Mario "Jumpman" Mario. He entered the workforce as a carpenter on the lookout for a certain hairy ape and switched from construction sites to sewers, sinks and toilets after two years. Another two years went by before he ventured into a fantasyland, becoming enraptured by its beautiful, fair-haired and gentle ruler and helping her fight off a hulking reptile of an enemy. Once peace was restored, Mario instantly became a champion of sports, dabbled in medicine and even refereed a boxing match. With his red getup, Mario was as iconic as iconic would get.

Out of another door peeped the King of the Jungle, DK. This grinning ape wearing a tie was currently on good terms with Mario. The cease-fire was initiated shortly before Mario launched his plumbing career, with DK deciding to change his ways and his former circus trainer agreeing to have him sent back home to his family. DK helped defeat King K. Rool and his band of thieves before settling in the aforementioned fantasy wonderland, soon becoming a staple in the many kart races and sporting events it hosted. He enjoyed eating bananas, playing his bongos and expanding his—well, you get the idea.

Out of a third door peeped the Hero of Time, Link. The wielder of the Master Sword was an expert ocarina player and was quickly recognized on the battlefield by his high-pitched cry of "Hyaaaah!" He bore the Triforce of Courage and rode into adventures astride his loyal horse, Epona. His tiny faerie, Navi, was always by his side ("Hey, listen!"). Link was still a boy, but he showed remarkable strength and bravery. Hyrule should be counting its blessings.

Out of a fourth door peeped the helmeted visage of Samus Aran, space warrior. Her life hadn't been an easy one. She was born on a colony of Planet Zebes which was later attacked by space pirates. Her parents had met their bloody end at the hands of the pirates' leader, Ridley. The orphaned girl was adopted and trained in combat by the people known as the Chozo, the creators of the Varia suit she wore during all of her adventures. Samus took on Mother Brain and the deadly Metroid race before squaring off against Ridley and defeating him multiple times. Perched on her shoulder was a baby Metroid she decided to raise as her own.

Out of a fifth door poked the head of Yoshi, the lovable green dinosaur. According to legend, Yoshi and his brethren raised Mario when he was a tiny baby, before he settled in Brooklyn, New York. Yoshi wore brown sneakers and used his sticky tongue to grab opponents. The opponent would be swallowed and laid as a spotted egg from which they could eventually escape. Yoshi maintained his role as Mario's helpful buddy, giving him rides in his quests since 1991. By himself, Yoshi saved the Happy Tree from being chopped down.

Out of a sixth door puffed the rotund, rosaceous body of the cute but capable Star Warrior, Kirby. He was considered premature by Star Warrior terms, since the starship he slept in went into Warp Mode before he was fully developed. That starship crash-landed in Dreamland, located on the planet Popstar. Despite his big eyes, stubby arms and overall naïve worldview, Kirby used his powerful Copy Abilities to defeat fearsome monsters. In Smash, he gained prominence by inhaling foes and copying their standard special moves, gaining an adorable hat for each fighter he imitated.

Out of a seventh door flicked the ears of Fox McCloud, leader of a mercenary team known as Star Fox. He'd solemnly affirmed to protect the Lylat System until his dying breath, and though he could be a bit cocky and snobbish, he'd upheld that vow. He overcame personal tragedy, the death of his father, James, to triumph over Andross. Fox became a staple in Smash by way of his quick, martial-arts style attacks, his Blaster, his Reflector and his Firefox.

Out of an eighth door peeped Pikachu, Electric-type Mouse Pokémon with his lightning bolt-shaped tail and his red cheeks, where his electricity was stored. He was the poster boy of these pocket monsters, which had tournaments of their own, conducted by trainers who caught, taught and nurtured them. In Smash, Pikachu's electricity gave him quite the competitive edge over the other fighters, and with his Quick Attack, he could vault to safety at any moment. After a long day, the fighters wanted nothing more than to curl up with Pikachu and a good book.

After meeting their gazes, Master Hand passed by four rooms with their doors tightly shut. These were the rooms of the Formidable Four, four secret fighters simply bursting with anticipation over unveiling their battling prowess. You'll hear about them later.

Now arriving at his destination, Master Hand stuck the tier list onto the bulletin board, right next to the day's matchups. He stood back and nodded admiringly at his work. Then, he turned around and floated back the same way he'd come, the peering eyes now retreating back into the doors. He had no way of knowing he'd just set an exciting day into motion.

While MH was putting up the tier list, one fighter had observed his actions intently. This fighter now emerged from his hiding spot and crept over to the list on catlike feet.

It was none other than Mario, Mr. Video Game Himself, and he was itching to see his position before the area became swamped by a frenzied crowd.

Little did he know that he'd get way more than he bargained for…

**Please R&R.**


	2. And So It Begins

**And So...It Begins**

_**Social stratification **_**(n): **_**a system by which a society of people are ranked in a hierarchal arrangement. "**__**In the United States, it is perfectly clear that some groups have greater status, power, and wealth than other groups."**_

**-Kimberly Moffitt, "Social Stratification: Definition, Theories and Examples"**

So this was the tier list. Printed on ordinary, eight-by-eleven inch white paper from ordinary printing ink made from a combination of cyan, yellow and pink colors. Listed from top to bottom were the twelve fighters, each denoted by a cartoonish, 2-D portrait. Beside each portrait was a number between 1 and 12.

A finger, gloved in the color of the paper, slowly trailed down the tier list. Mario's gloved finger, searching for his own picture, skimming past the dark numbers on the crisp sheet of paper. And as the numbers counted upward with the precision of a machine, Mario's brow began to furrow, deepening as the numbers grew.

1…

2…

3…

4…

5…

6…

There!

In the number 7 spot, just below the middle, there he was. Mario tapped his picture contemplatively, his lips pursing slightly as he thought about being ranked one slot below a certain pink Balloon Pokémon, two slots below Yoshi and glaringly outranked by a vulpine, a racecar driver, a fluffy pink marshmallow and a yellow mouse who shot electricity. After bestowing defeat after defeat upon a princess-stealing turtle, Mario was stunned to be ranked so low. His status as an all-around had earned him not only a Thumbs-Up from Master Hand but also unofficial second-in-command duties and the privilege of being a spokesperson for the Smashers. He half-expected to be among the top three or four, at the very least. So far, he'd performed amazingly and showed his opponents as well as the audience why he made the Toads of his new home feel safe at night. What was he doing in the middle tier?

Disheartened, Mario leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. After all he'd done to keep his Princess and her subjects safe, all Master Hand had to offer him was the number seven slot? Who did he think he was? What made an electric mouse and a puffball better than him? Yes, he lost some matches as well as won some, but of all the tier positions, he just had to be stuck in the middle? He had a good mind to march right up to that disembodied glove and…

He immediately shoved those angry, self-pitying thoughts from his mind. It wasn't Master Hand who composed this tier list, anyway. All heroes had weaknesses as well as strengths, and just because he wasn't as ranked as high as he hoped didn't mean that he was no longer capable of protecting the Mushroom Kingdom. Besides, being in the middle was not that bad. And he couldn't count out the fact that seven was a lucky number. While he questioned his placement on the tier list, he felt that he could make do with it.

Having accepted his lower-than-desired ranking, Mario smiled. "Okeydokey," he said to himself. Maybe he'd order a plate of spaghetti and meatballs at the cafeteria. He'd feel substantially better after that.

This state of nirvana was short-lived due to thoughts of another fighter he held near and dear to his heart. He allowed his finger to resume its skimming journey, and as the numbers continued to increase and he passed the likes of Samus and DK, the red-capped hero who smashed bricks and blocks with his fist grew acutely sick to his stomach.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Oh, _Dio_, no.

His finger was now at the last slot on the tier list, twelfth place. And there, without any speck of doubt, was the portrait of the most valuable, reliable and loving sidekick a hero could ever have—his little brother.

This had to be some sort of mistake. Luigi couldn't be that awful—he just couldn't! He was taller than Mario and also jumped higher. Mario had attended every last one of his matches as a spectator. Every. Last. One. And in all of them, he had been left breathless by Luigi's speed, power, versatility and innovation. In his moveset had come an assortment of combo tools, and his favorite combo finisher was a handy, quaint little move known as the Super Jump Punch. Mario had this move, as well, but Luigi's variation came equipped with this secret spot he had to work to get his foes into. If he was successful, then—_**PIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!**_ One fiery wowza of an uppercut, coming up!

But like Mario, Luigi had flaws. One of them being his notoriously poor traction, which could both hurt and help him. The prime flaw was that in Smash, Luigi was considered Mario's inferior clone. Heck, that was all he'd been considered these days. He shared Mario's attacks, or most of them, but their damage outputs were noticeably lower. His dash attack, while unique, was weaker, being a wild flurry of punches. Luigi was a floaty fighter with overall poor mobility and approach issues, and his matchups were considered among the worst in the tournament thus far. Insult to injury? Luigi had happily filled out the application to enter the tournament, hoping to escape the looming shadow of his elder brother. Once he had come out of hiding, so to speak, he was going to set this tournament ablaze (figuratively speaking, of course) with what he could do! And how did these suits treat him? They decided that he was nothing, stuck him dead last and cast him back into obscurity. Life could be cruel sometimes.

"Dear God," sighed Mario, hand over his forehead, as he turned away from the list. There were no options. He had to tell him, had to cushion the blow somehow. He had to help him process this setback. But he didn't want to be the one blasting Luigi's aspirations to bits. Luigi had his moments of uncertainty while filling out the application and while getting situated that first day. This piece of news would be detrimental to his self-esteem.

In the back of his mind, Mario knew that Luigi would sense that he was hiding something. All siblings would. And when he saw that list and figured out that his big bro knew beforehand, there would be trouble. Luigi would probably not speak to him for a long time, perhaps never again. It was akin to choosing between risking his life trekking through eight worlds and leaving the Princess in her enemy's greedy claws. Both sounded awful, yet one was better than the other.

Perhaps there was a way to work around this…

**…**

With leaden footsteps, Mario headed over to Luigi's room, located next to his, to break the morale-diminishing news.

Now, these two rooms were connected by a side door located inside each room, allowing one brother to visit the other at leisure. Other rooms had this accommodation, but these two utilized it more than the rest of the roster combined. So much, in fact, that they left their side door partially open most of the time.

Mario took a deep breath and knocked on Luigi's door. "Luigi!" he called.

"Come in," replied the voice of his baby bro.

Mario entered the room and quickly found his sibling, dancing to some Eurodance tunes on his stereo.

As far as job choices, Luigi loved rolling up his sleeves and doing hands-on work. While Mario labored on construction sites, Luigi worked as a small-time mechanic. In 1983, once the tension with DK deflated, Luigi suggested that they enter the plumbing business together. For two years they worked in the sewage pipes, one of which led them to that mushroomy fantasy world. In 1986, they set up a business of their own, Mario Bros. Plumbing, graduating to less stinky jobs such as toilets and sinks. This business flourished while they commuted regularly between the Mushroom Kingdom and Brooklyn via Warp Pipes. Both bros were equally credited when it came to plumbing jobs, and their salaries were nearly the same. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case when it came to their more heroic pursuits.

Although he was concealed in Mario's shadow most of the time, Luigi had a small degree of popularity among the Toads and New Yorkers back home. As previously stated, Luigi was taller than Mario and a higher jumper. His hair was also styled similarly, wavy, with a few short bangs at the back, but its brown color was a shade darker than Mario's. Bold blue eyes enhanced any emotion playing across his face. Three years earlier, he was mysteriously excluded from an adventure involving going through portraits in the Princess's castle and collecting various Stars. However, he actively participated in a kart racing tournament shortly thereafter, where he performed to the best of his ability, taking the shebang by storm. Though he didn't really know it yet, Luigi had many loyal and adoring fans eagerly awaiting his appearance.

Presently, Luigi caught his breath, turned down his music and smiled at his big bro. "Hey, Mario!"

The two plumbers shared a loving embrace.

"Isn't this place amazing?" gushed Luigi. "There are multiple lounges, an ice cream parlor, spacious Training Areas—even an arcade and a movie theater! Master Hand's spoiling us like kids!"

"Tell me about it," smiled Mario. "How's your day been?"

"Aside from a few bruises, I can't complain," winked Luigi. "Oh, and thanks for sitting up in the front row where I can see you. How's your day in Smash going so far?"

"Smashing," shrugged Mario. "Say, you want to go to the cafeteria and get some spaghetti? It's on me."

Luigi scrutinized Mario. "You're hiding something."

Mario sighed deeply; he knew his brother would see through him. "Yep."

"What's going on, Bro? I mean, what's _really_ going on?"

Mario prayed to his Star Sprites for strength as he steered Luigi toward the bed. "You might want to sit down for this," he warned, "and you're going to need a stiff drink, too."

"Just tell me."

"L, Master Hand put the tier list up a few minutes ago," Mario began.

"Yeah, he _did_ say something about a tier list," mused Luigi. "You saw it?"

"Yes. I was curious as to where I was, and I wanted to sneak a peek before word got out, so after MH left, I went over there and looked."

"And?"

"I was in the B-tier, seventh place."

Luigi shrugged. "That's not too bad. I'm proud of you. Who was first?"

"Pikachu," responded Mario, "and Kirby came in second."

There was a beat between them.

"What else are you not telling me?" asked Luigi.

Mario's heart thudded in his chest. "Well—I saw your ranking, too," he confessed. "It didn't look good."

"So, you're saying—what are you saying?" demanded Luigi. "Where did they place me on the list?"

"L—I'm sorry to say that you're ranked pretty low," sighed Mario. "Truly, I regret having to tell you this. I know that you hoped to break out on your own in this tournament. But don't get discouraged. So far, you've shown us all some impressive stuff."

"Who was I to expect more?" Luigi huffed after a tense silence. "Nobody knows me, and if they do, they know me as 'the Green Mario'. Of course, those guys in the suits don't think I'll last a year in this place."

"I'm so sorry, Lil' Bro," Mario reiterated. "I just thought you should know before it hits you in the face."

There was barely any emotion in Luigi's eyes now. He was probably trying to process what Mario had told him. "I could use that stiff drink right now," he said finally. "Would you care to join me?"

**…**

The existence of the tier list wasn't made public until shortly after noon. It was enough time for Luigi to steel himself for the reality of his placement—or so he thought.

"Left hand—green!"

In the meantime, Luigi was willing to cast those thoughts away in favor of a nice game of Twister with the other members of the Formidable Four. There they were, tangled up on the white mat with the red, blue, yellow and green dots on it, giggling and shrieking and struggling to maintain equilibrium as Fox called out direction determined by spinning a wheel.

We've already met Luigi, the tour-de-force of a younger brother and a pretty darn good kart racer, to say the least. He favored green as his color, the color of the hat bouncing around on his head as he twisted himself up with three other bodies. This hat had the letter "L" stamped right in the center, and let me tell you, this "L" didn't stand for "loser". He always looked forward to a sporting event or a kart race back home, for prior to this year, they were the primary outlets for his stress and aggression over Mario getting all of the accolades for the adventures they took on together, leaving him with hardly anything. Yet in spite of the fame inequality between them and the dynamics it fostered, Luigi loved his brother truly, madly and deeply, and he'd do anything to defend him.

The pink, Fairy-type Balloon Pokémon occupying the middle spot of the tier list was Jigglypuff. This little cutie had the ability to put her foes to sleep using her gentle, irresistible melodies. Whilst in this slumber, said foes could be smashed out of the arena or drawn on using a black, felt-tipped marker. When the latter happened, hilarity erupted. Besides singing, taking a nap was another secret weapon for Jiggs. If she fell asleep right next to an opponent, then she'd launch them sky high. Jiggs would be highly recommended for people who were stressed out or had sleeping problems.

The masked, helmeted man with the amazing abs was Douglas Jay Falcon. All that was known about him was that he raced for the F-Zero Grand Prix and was also a bounty hunter. In Smash, Captain Falcon constantly exhorted the other fighters to "Show me ya moves!" He couldn't take his eyes off of Samus and spent most of his time flirting with her. Publicly, she denied a crush on him, but secretly, she flirted right back. Without question, Falcon's ticket to victory was his…"FALCOOOOOOOOOOON PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWNCH!" Wow—it looked like a falcon, too!

The thirteen-year-old with the striped shirt and baseball cap was Ness, the boy from Onett. Ness was a whiz at doing yo-yo tricks and was quite eager to show them off to his opponents, with very painful results. Also, Ness was armed and ready with his baseball bat, either to hit a home run in a leisurely baseball game or to batter up on the battlefield. When a meteor crashed into his backyard, Ness was catapulted into an adventure alongside his friends, Paula, Jeff and Poo, to stop the evil Gigyas from taking over the world. Along the way, they learned a powerful technique known as PSI. This PSI fueled Ness's attacks in Smash, and three key moves made it in as his specials: PK Fire, PK Thunder (taught to him by Paula) and PSI Magnet.

These four secret fighters wasted no time establishing common ground and forming a mini-"fraternity", so to speak. They spent most of their time together, eating together, lounging together and even hosting sleepovers together. Sure, they hung around with the Great Eight, too, but their logic was that all hidden characters should stick together.

In a few short hours, though, all of that would change.

Fox continued to spin the wheel and call out commands to put this hand or foot on that color. These directives were growing increasingly impossible as the limbs of one became entwined with the limbs of another, hence the name of the game. The Formidable Four squealed with delight as they tried to remember which limb was where and move it as instructed, feeling the limbs below them shifting and threatening to knock them off balance. They laughed, not giving a care for the moment, as someone's rump got in someone else's face and hands or stubs grabbed an ankle, as they looked out from between their legs and saw their new friends upside down. The ensnaring game eventually devolved into a twisted mess on the mat, squirming and roughhousing and laughing and shrieking insanely.

"Hey, you guys?"

They looked up to see Samus standing in the doorway.

"Hiya, Sam," greeted Douglas. "What brings you here?"

"If you're finished playing around on the floor, Master Hand put the tier list up," announced Samus.

"Oh, boy!" cried Fox, dropping the spinner and bounding out of the room.

One by one, the Formidable Four picked themselves up, pulled their shoes back on (for those who had any) and filed out after the space commander.

Remembering Mario's words, Luigi tried not to elevate his expectations too much. He tried to imagine how low he'd be ranked. He tried to be ready.

They spilled into the crowd of the other eight Smashers, fighting their way to the front for a better look at the piece of paper tacked onto the bulletin board beside the day's matches. Already, there were whoops of joy, utterances of dismay, shouts of anger, cries of triumph and even some oaths as the fighters glimpsed their positions. Luigi ignored them as he finally reached the tier list. And as soon as he found his picture, he wished he hadn't.

Mario wasn't joking. Luigi, in fact, was ranked low on the tier list. Pretty low. Extremely low. Pitifully low.

The lowest of the low.

He closed his eyes, and then opened them again. Nothing had changed. His position on that tier list hadn't changed an inch. He was still standing there, staring at where they'd put him. Yells of disbelief, celebration, fulmination and condemnation swirled surreally around him. His face had gone as white as a Boo. For about two seconds, his heart stopped beating. This wasn't a sick joke. This wasn't a nightmare. This was real. This was how he was going to be viewed for the rest of the tournament.

His power of speech returned, and with it, his own disbelieved cry:

_"Are you f—ing kidding me?! Last place?!"_

Mario bolted forward at the sound of his brother's exclamation. Everything else was gone from his mind except for the fact that his younger sibling needed him right now.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!"

Meanwhile, Luigi's mind was going everywhere. He thought he was doing well, well enough to be placed higher than last! Were they doing this on purpose? Was it their way of keeping him down, where they wanted him to be? Every time he struggled up, someone was waiting to push him back down! It wasn't fair! None of it was!

The crushing discovery had caused him to go limp. He had no energy to move; he was on the verge of crumpling to the ground. His mouth opened and closed rapidly like a fish swimming in the sea. It was as if he was trying to say something, anything—anything to make this go away and just be some delusional fantasy. And then a sound came out from between his lips—a broken, keening sound, like a child trying to comprehend why the other kids were laughing at him just because he was different.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. _Mio Dio_—this isn't happening. No way is this happening," he murmured over and over.

Mario reached the front in time to see Luigi, broken and numb, mumbling listless words, his expression aghast as he stared at the list, no longer seeing it except the fact that they put him last. As far as the red-capped hero was concerned, his efforts to ease the devastation had failed. He felt guilty for not telling him directly, but at least he'd been honest, right? It wasn't like he told a bald-faced lie.

Silently, Mario took his place by Luigi's side. A weight hung; he couldn't make eye contact. But he felt Luigi's eyes boring into him, asking the unspoken questions, demanding an explanation. It didn't take long for the intensity to get to Mario, making him turn and meet his younger bro's gaze.

"I—I wanted to tell you," Mario stated remorsefully. As if _that_ would make it any better. What kind of excuse was that? He _kept_ that important fact from him!

"I know," replied Luigi, his eyes never wavering. He had to give Mario credit for trying to lessen the impact. Unfortunately, the blow was still mighty. He anticipated being low after the talk with Mario, but not dead last. Something told him that Mario had hidden a vital piece from him after the revelation, but for both of their sakes, he hadn't pressed the matter. He should've, though. Now, Luigi would always remember that Mario knew, all this time. While he was in his room, winding his hips and breaking a sweat to upbeat dance tunes of the 90s; while he was playing Twister with Ness, Falcon and Jiggs, Mario knew. He knew that he was now considered the worst fighter on the roster, and instead of coming right out and saying it, he lied by omission.

Mario bowed his head. He knew Luigi had put two-and-two together. Soothing the pain the only way he could, he raised his head, opened his arms and encircled them round the green-clad hero, drawing him against his body and transferring his warmth and comfort to him.

To his relief, Luigi accepted the embrace, relaxing as his arms moved, in turn, to round his brother's frame. He interlaced his fingers behind Mario's back to keep the hold, his chin resting atop the crown of the elder brother's head. One hand began to thread through Mario's locks, the hug deepening. The reality wasn't so painful anymore. Luigi understood that Mario would be there to help him through this. He didn't think any less of him because of that list.

Still, he technically lied to him, so the next time they were matched together, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Yoshi?"

The plumbers shifted in their brotherly embrace to see their green dino pet with a concerned look on his face.

"Hi, Yoshi," they said as one.

Yoshi padded over to his "mama", eyes still filled with worry. He'd been placed in the A tier along with Douglas and Fox, with a rank of 5th. Fox was 4th, and Douglas was 3rd. At first, Yoshi was jubilant, as he had every right to be. He, Fox and Falcon high-fived each other and wound up in a hugfest with S tier fighters, Pikachu (1st) and Kirby (2nd). The euphoria dissipated enough for Yoshi to glance again at the tier list, curious as to the positions of his two friends. Luigi's last-place rank immediately jumped at him, and suddenly, the fact that the green dino was ranked fairly high no longer mattered. He just hated the heartbroken look on his "mama's" face. All he wanted was for him to smile and laugh again, as he'd done since the tournament started.

Luigi turned to face Yoshi when the dino nuzzled his shoulder lovingly.

"Yoshi?" the dino asked tentatively.

Ending his hug with Mario, Luigi petted Yoshi reassuringly. "It's okay," he said. "I'm not mad at you."

He glanced at Mario. "Or at you," he went on. Mario wasn't so sure.

"Truth is, I don't know who I'm mad at," summed up Luigi. "Master Hand, Sakurai, the gamers who assembled this, or God—I just don't know."

"Yoshi?"

Luigi smiled sadly at Yoshi. "Hey, when life deals me tomatoes, I make spaghetti sauce. Speaking of which…" He cast a pointed glance toward Mario. "…I'll take a rain check on that spaghetti."

Mario stroked his brother's cheeks, and then rubbed his shoulders. "Listen to me," he said. "I don't care what that paper says, okay? It can say whatever it wants, but in my eyes, you'll always be a strong fighter. Just think about how you've helped me rescue the Princess."

"I barely get any acknowledgement, but you're right," said Luigi.

"You're amazing, Luigi," said Mario. "You're smart. You're dependable. You're handsome. You're strong. You're more powerful and courageous than you realize. I pray that one day, you'll discover that hidden spirit."

Luigi blushed. "Thanks, Bro."

They shared one final hug. Then, Luigi kissed Mario's cheek and threaded his way through the crowd to locate the other "C" tiers.

Samus glowered at Douglas as he held her hands in his.

"I mean, we can still be together, right?" he asked.

"Only if you agree not to rub it in," she admonished.

DK stomped away from the tier list, pouting over being ranked 9th and looking for bananas to drown his sorrows.

Ness received an encouraging pep talk from a few Mr. Saturns.

Link angrily slashed at the air with the Master Sword, yelling about how he was ranked eleventh in spite of the numerous times he'd defeated a certain dark king and restored peace to Hyrule.

"Eleventh!" he screamed like a maniac. "Eleventh!"

A Polygon handed him a glass of Lon-Lon Milk, which he drained in a few gulps.

"Thanks," he said. "I needed that."

As Fox and Falcon did a victory dance, hooting and laughing boisterously, Pikachu and Kirby simply congratulated each other on their high rankings and offered free hugs to everyone else.

Samus, DK, Ness and Link found themselves drawn to Luigi as he approached them. They saw tears threatening to spill, yet he steadfastly kept them in. He couldn't afford to break down in front of them. They needed a source of guidance and hope. They needed superglue to hold them together. Though he was just dubbed the absolute worst, he was going to fulfill that role. Mario was right—there was hidden strength in Luigi, and it was starting to come out.

"Hey," Luigi said to them, and they looked into his eyes and saw it, the quiet fortitude keeping him from sinking into the depths of self-pity. "It'll be all right."

The color had returned to his face, a healthy tan accelerated by constant exposure to sunlight. His tears had spilled over, but as they sparkled on his cheeks, his lips remained firm and his jaw squared. His cry was over before it even began. He slipped one hand into Link's and the other into Ness's, prompting the other two to join them in a circle, holding hands.

"We're going to be okay," Luigi assured them, knowing that they wanted to believe it with every ounce of their being. "I promise."

**Please R&R.**


	3. Nothing's Gonna Break Us Down

**Nothing's Gonna Break Us Down**

**Face **_**(n)**_**: 5: outward appearance; 8: a front, principal, bounding or contacting surface**

**Value **_**(n**_**): 2: the monetary worth of a thing; also, relative worth, utility, or importance; 3: an assigned or computed numerical quantity**

**-from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 6****th**** ed (2004)**

**Face value **_**(n)**_**: the value printed or depicted on a coin, bank note, postage stamp, etc., especially when less the actual or intrinsic value; the superficial appearance or implication of something**

**-from Google Search**

It was Master Hand's idea to give his Smashers a two-hour match break after putting up the tier list, but he doubted that two hours would be enough.

He saw it all, read it all, and knew it all. He was the creator of this tournament; therefore, he knew what the participants were thinking and feeling. Especially when it came to tiers.

Master Hand was well-versed in psychology and sociology. Even before Sakurai sent him that thing, he knew it would have many sociological and psychological effects on the fighters. Primarily, some would let it get to their heads and use it as some sort of class system. Higher tiers would look down on the lower tiers, and the lower tiers would feel weak, worthless and pitiful. Psychologically, the high tiers would feel and act like they were better than all of the rest, and the low tiers would feel like peasants. What he observed earlier enforced all of this.

Especially with Luigi.

He was there when the man in green fought his way to the front of the crowd, so much eagerness, excitement and hope shining on his face. He was there when, as soon as he saw his placement, the light went out of his eyes, and he visibly deflated. He was there as he fought back his tears and sought comfort from Mario, Yoshi and the C-tiers. Something had told him to pull him aside and talk to him, but he felt no need to after he noticed Luigi comforting Samus, DK, Ness and Link instead of vice versa.

As predicted, Captain Falcon and Fox were all over the place with their rankings, hamming it up, milking it dry and rubbing it in the faces of other Smashers (except Samus, in Falcon's case, when she calmly asked him to stop). The duo could now be seen strutting the halls of the Smash Mansion like a pair of peacocks, emphasizing how important they were. Master Hand reminded himself to lecture them before the matches started up again.

But Pikachu and Kirby were different. They—were the most gracious of top tiers. Master expected them to be the obnoxious ones, rather than the racer and vulpine. But obnoxious wasn't a word to describe either of those two. They kept their celebrations subtle, giving hugs to the lower tiers to show that they were still their friends. Not so much for Falcon and Fox! Smashers they'd been chummy with in the past (e.g. Luigi) were shamelessly shunned. The C-tiers were a little guarded in interacting with the higher tiers; in fact, Luigi was extremely protective of his fellow C-tiers. Invisible boundaries seemed to be drawn—the tiers now dictated where they Smashers sat, who they were close to and who they trusted. Except for Pikachu, Kirby and Yoshi, proud of their ranks but not letting them define their friendships.

When Master Hand reluctantly resumed matches, he was alarmed upon noticing the increased tension. Higher tiers, especially Fox and Falcon, enjoyed dumping on the lower tiers during a match, even fighting dirty at one point. Master had to penalize the vulpine once and the racer twice before they stopped with the dirty fighting, but they still let loose with sugar-coated barbs and trash-talking. In the interval between matches, the gym, lounge and Training Areas became populated with B and C tiers.

And the audience wasn't even better! As soon as word got out that Luigi was dead last, it was open season for him. He was mocked for being a clone, heckled, booed and hissed at, taunted because of his low ranking and even physically harassed by a few spectators! Master Hand warned them that they would be permanently barred from spectating if their behavior persisted, but it was as if he wasn't there. Luckily, the handful of fans eagerly awaiting Luigi's appearance were there to shower him with support, girding him for the battles ahead.

Then, there was Mario. When he wasn't proving an A tier or a S tier wrong in battle (mostly the A tiers), he was spectating all of Luigi's matches, just like he always had. First row, middle seat had become Mario's signature spot, and seeing him there automatically meant that Luigi was going to kick some butt. As the green-clad plumber gave his opponents a run for their money and tuned out the boos and jeers from the haters, Jumpman jumped up and down in his seat, sometimes leaping to his feet, cheering like he was cheering for the New York Giants, sometimes calling out to his baby bro in Italian. The more Mario cheered, the harder Luigi fought, and the look Master Hand often glimpsed in his eyes said more than this paragraph I'm typing right now. All of that early afternoon, match after match, the Eternal Understudy sweated, bled, gave as good as he got—and shouted. The finality and the heat of a given match got into Luigi's blood and he yelled almost as much as Mario. By the time MH called another respite, Luigi ached from giving and taking hits, and his throat was raw.

In those quiet moments, it all came crashing back down. Coming here with a possibility ahead of him to have that possibility brutally snatched away. Trying to escape coming in second, but having it cling fast to him. And now, Sakurai's little "[bleep] you" to the man in green was the final factor in a macabre equation. And what a macabre equation it was.

The fists which pounded opponents now pounded walls and doors, pounded them hard enough to leave dents. Through it all, Luigi cried softly, his solitude allowing him to finally let go those feelings. He'd give everything to make the booing stop, to make the mocking and the hating stop, to make that stupid list go away. Falcon—a fellow secret fighter—was now turning his nose up at him. And now, Fox had time for the A and the S tiers, but no time for the B and C tiers—especially the worst fighter on the roster! Pikachu, Kirby, Yoshi, Jiggs and Mario were nicer to him. It was just that Luigi had his guard up around them, unsure of whether it was an act for some of them. He felt a greater affinity toward DK, Link and Samus, and they arranged themselves into a tiny "clique", similar to Fox and Falcon's relationship, except that it welcomed everyone and not a select few.

Finally, Luigi calmed down and used the phone in his room to summon his fellow C-tiers.

"What is it, L?" asked Ness.

Luigi beamed. "Anyone up for a game of Twister?"

**…**

The scooper dipped into the tub of ice cream and then emerged, filled with the cool guilty pleasure. Then, the scoop was released into the bowl with a soft _plop_. Scoop, release, _plop_, repeat.

Twelve generous-size bowls of ice cream laid neatly on a tray. A pair of pink appendages grabbed the bottle of fudge topping and gave it a squeeze. The yummy, gooey goodness piled onto the ice cream in squiggles. Once the ice-creams were doused in topping, on came a dollop or two of Cool Whip, and at last, a cherry.

Kirby's mouth watered as he studied his hand-crafted sundaes, but he knew only one of them was his. However delicious this looked, he had to see this mission through to the end.

Picking up the tray, Kirby puffed out of the kitchen and into the lounge, where the Smashers sat. A light frown graced his round face at the sight greeting him. His friends had all segregated themselves into different tables after looking at a piece of paper. Kirby felt heartbroken by this. He was proud to be top tier, but he didn't want all of his new pals sitting away from each other! Surely, the tier list wasn't supposed to be used as some caste system. It was merely a guide for more competitive players, and nothing else.

Pikachu looked up when Kirby placed the tray onto "their" table. "Pika?" he wondered.

"Poyo," Kirby said with a wink. Delicately, he lifted a sundae from the tray and floated over to where the C tiers sat. Tiring of contorting their bodies on a mat, they were now engaged in a board game, Sorry. Even the ironically titled game seemed to be dissing Luigi, as he was at a grave disadvantage. He didn't seem to mind, smiling, laughing and talking with the other four low tiers.

Kirby got their attention with a soft "Poyo".

Five heads whipped around, Luigi immediately assuming a protective stance, distrustfully eyeing the sundae Kirby proffered.

"Poyo, poyo," said Kirby, undeterred.

Gradually, Luigi's posture relaxed, and he reached out to take the delicious dessert.

Then, Kirby gestured to the table he occupied with Kirby. "Poyo?"

"Sure. Of course I'll sit with you," said Luigi, the last of his suspicions fading away. Why he suspected the Hero of Dreamland in the first place was beyond him. He excused himself and walked with Kirby to the new table, holding his sundae carefully.

Jiggs and Mario looked up from their game of War to see Luigi striding over to Kirby and Pikachu's table. They then put down their cards and watched as Kirby picked up his tray and puffed back over to the C tiers.

"Poyo, poyo, poyo!" he called out to them.

Samus, DK, Ness and Link looked at Kirby, then at the sundaes, then at one another and then back at Kirby. Wariness flickered over their faces before Ness stood up and went to join Luigi.

"Okay!" he chirped as he took a sundae.

Link's face oozed gratitude as Kirby handed him a sundae. He situated himself to Luigi's left.

A lazy grin broke out of Samus's face, and with a roll of her eyes, she rose to her feet, crossed the room to Kirby's table, and sat beside Ness.

DK accepted his treat with contented, hungry ape noises.

The joy and friendship Kirby exuded was contagious. For the first time in hours, animated converse sprung up among the fighters. Mario and Jiggs grinned ear-to-ear as they watched the Star Warrior reunify his new friends.

"Jiggly!" said Jiggs.

"That was an extremely considerate thing to do, Kirby," Mario added softly.

Kirby held the tray out to the B tiers with a cheerful "Poyo, poyo, poy!"

Exchanging proud looks, Jiggs and Mario put their cards away and ventured over to the seats Kirby saved for them. Mario sat beside his brother, and Jiggs sat beside Pikachu.

With an enthusiastic, "Yoshi!", the green dino claimed the last sundae.

And so, there they were, the Super Smash Brothers, joking, laughing and commiserating over ice cream. Kirby was old enough to know how sweet treats could bring a room back together.

Most of it, at least. Two of the Smashers were absent from this get-together. And those two Smashers were…

"YES!"

"Oh, yeah! Woo! Make way, people!"

Hand in hand, Fox and Falcon made their grand entrance. The table occupants fired them annoyed looks, but remained silent.

"Hey, Kirby, my man!" greeted Falcon. "You're not really going to throw a party without us, are you? C'mon, save some ice cream for the winners!"

"That's right! It's time to celebrate!"

Kirby glared at them. "Poyo, poyo!"

"Kirby's right—we're all winners here!" said Link.

"And we're celebrating already," Mario led the charge. "We're celebrating being together!"

"I'm sure Kirby will hook you up if you ask nicely," said Ness.

"Pfft, if you want those sundaes, then you can have them!" eyerolled Falcon. "I see some bad apples in this bunch, and I don't want to hang around with them. How about you, Foxy?"

"Nope, and don't call me Foxy."

"Wanna get some nachos?"

"Sure."

After placing their order at the counter, Falcon swiveled around to face Yoshi. "Yoshi, what are you doing over there?" he asked. "Come hang with us and have some nachos!"

Yoshi shook his head. "Yoshi!"

"Oh, whatever!" huffed Falcon, taking a tortilla chip from his order and popping it into his mouth.

The two A tiers found a table of their own and began loudly crunching on their food. They should've been mindful of Luigi's incredulous eyes on them. Who were they to act like they owned the place? Oh, Luigi had his eye on them since that fateful list came up. Bossing the Polygons around like their own personal assistants, preening for the audience during matches, and now this. The same F-Zero racer and bounty hunter who resembled a cinnamon twist on the Twister mat beside him that morning was now too stuck up to even be at the same table as him. The same anthropomorphic fox holding the game spinner was now looking at him down the length of his nose whenever they passed each other by. _Dio_, it made Luigi want to puke.

Everyone else ignored the duo, thinking—hoping—that the hype would die away and that everything would be back to normal tomorrow.

Oh, how very wrong they were…

**…**

It still hadn't burned off after a few more matches were fought, and the C tiers were sick of it. Sick of it! Samus had ditched her Varia Suit for a pair of workout capris and a sports bra and was now hogging the gym, DK was downing banana-based sweets, Ness was playing baseball with some Polygons, and Luigi was in his room, sitting at his computer.

On the Smash blog, the tier list was a hot topic. Of course, there were a lot of potshots taken at the low tiers and a few cracks about how useless Luigi was. The plumber blasted air between closed lips a few times, positioned his fingers over the keyboard and began to type.

_**What has happened to the Formidable Four? What has happened to the Smash Family? Twelve fighters, once warm and loving and eager to share with one another, now shattered into fragments like glass. This tier list has divided us; it is slowly turning us into three hostile camps. Two of us are now acting like they own the place—can't you believe it? Well, as you all know by now, I'm the ugly duckling, the runt of the litter, the weakling, so chances are, you're not going to pay attention to what I say, but I'm going to say it anyway. I. Hate. This. Tier. List. That's right, I curse with every breath in my body the nutjob who thought of putting these things into existence, I rue the day they decided that such a thing was necessary for what was supposed to be a friendly get-together. Look at what they've done! Friendships lie in tatters, betrayed without a single tear or hint of regret. The Smash Mansion seems smaller now, thanks to overinflated egos and God complexes. Now that everyone thinks I'm nothing, I've lost a critical amount of respect. But they'll see. They'll all see.**_

_**I apologize for wasting your time and valuable blog space.**_

Luigi clicked "Send" and immediately felt a heavy weight lift from his heart. It felt so incredibly good and _daring_ to have his fingers fly across his keyboard, translating all of his thoughts into a blog post, pulling no punches and speaking his mind. They thought this list dictated the kind of fighter he was, but he'd show them. Samus would show them. DK, Ness and Link would show them. He wasn't about to let himself and his fellow C tiers fall victims to stigmatism, despair and self-loathing. Under his watch, the Fierce Five was going to show Nintendo what C tiers could do!

This was turning into a freaking good day.

**Please R&R.**


	4. High C's

**High C's**

**Margin (n): 1: the part of a page outside the main body of printed or written matter; 2: edge**

**Marginal (adj.): 4: excluded from or existing outside the mainstream of society or a group**

**Marginalize (vb.): to relegate to an unimportant position within a society or group**

**-The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 6****th**** ed. (2004)**

_Dear Diary, _

_ Ridley just found out about the tiers. Now, my phone is off the hook with prank calls from him. The last thing I need is my sworn enemy mocking me for being 8__th__ place, compounded with the prejudice I've faced for being a woman and a bounty hunter, along with the snickering audience and the "better-than-you" treatment shown to me by some of the higher tiers (you know who you are). Seeing them so full of it makes me want to fire a fully-loaded Charge Shot into their midst, to obliterate them like the deadly Space Pirates I've battled in the past. But luckily, I'm not riding this roller coaster alone. I've found confiding buddies in DK, Ness, Link and Luigi. Speaking of Luigi, he's become our unofficial "voice", our spine, our superstructure keeping us from falling apart. So, anyone who wants to _[bleep]_ with us has to go through him._

_ I'm hitting the Training Area now; this energy and aggression is driving me mad!_

_Samus A._

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ THANK YOU LUIGI, YOU ARE THE BEST! I SHOWER YOU WITH COCONUT CREAM PIES!_

_DK_

**...**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Captain Falcon and Fox used to enjoy playing baseball with me. Not anymore. They say that it's "for little babies", just like playing Twister "is for casuals". I've never heard such disrespectful comments in my life! Why, oh why, does this tier list corrupt them so?_

_ I'm sitting in my room, playing with my yo-yo, trying not to cry, thinking about the way we were. Smash used to be one, big, happy family—now, we're arranged like a totem pole. The likes of Fox and Falcon behave like socialites who are oh-so-special and oh-so-important above the rest of us. And us C tiers? We're treated like low-class peasants, like expendables, like underlings of the lowest order, like useless, easily replaced and erased individuals. We're kindergarteners and first graders, and they're the big sixth graders who love tormenting us—or so they think._

_ Thank God for Luigi. His words ring in my head as I write these words. He may be last, but he's no underling! And he's right—we are going to show everyone what C tiers are made of and set this tournament on fire! The things I'm going to do to those snobbish pushovers—_

_ I'll get back to you later. Luigi's coming to visit!_

_Ness_

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ You know that feeling when you accidentally disturb a flock of Cuccos, and they won't stop assailing you? Well, that's how things are like right now for me._

_ Eleventh—how could they have the nerve? Eleventh! I am the Hero of Time. I am the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. I serve and protect Hyrule with my life. What have I done? What have I done to be so grossly disregarded? Why do these people keep harassing me like a flock of Cuccos? I'm being pecked at from all directions. From one direction comes two fighters in particular who think they're VIPs now (I won't name names, but they know who they are) and seek to remind us of our place, so to speak. From another are the gamers, the tournament regulars who drone on and on about how lousy I am. And then, I've got the audience breathing down my neck, waiting to see me fail, fall, die trying. Just think of the libel and slander they're sending to Hyrule, to my people! In spite of everything I've done, in spite of all of my accomplishments, they thumb their noses at my fighting abilities. Just wait until I've sharpened my Master Sword, polished my Boomerang and restock my Bombs. I'll have them eating their words in no time!_

_ I'll go play my ocarina now._

_Link_

_P.S. Luigi told me that he's swinging by later. I'm going to hold him to that._

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ I've cried my last tears. I've pulled myself out of the rut of what-if and what-could've-been. I've stopped stewing over that piece of paper; I've decided that it's not going to rule my life. Instead, I've declared all-out total war on it. It's placed a value stamp on me, but I'm going to fight it. I'm going to fight it with my bare hands. I'm going to fight it with words. I'm going to fight it with thoughts and ideas and energy and fire. I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get in the mud, because if they want to drag me through filth, then I'll take them right along with me. I feel a wind beginning to blow inside of me, a full-force gale. Let me tell you, this gale within me is going to blow down these negative perceptions of me with the relentlessness of a hurricane. I _am_ a hurricane. A hurricane steadily increasing in deadly power. Now I can hardly sit still. I cannot wait for the next match. I cannot wait for my next opponent. I hope it's Falcon or Fox, two new friends of mine who screwed me over on a dime. They want to believe they're the cream of the crop, but I'll knock them down a few pegs, just you wait. I am a category 5 superstorm of a hurricane, and my target is locked on those two._

_ They'd better say their prayers._

_Luigi_

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_ Oh, God, I feel so happy right now! So free! I haven't felt so lightweight since I defeated Ridley for the first time and reached closure over losing my parents. What happened? Well, let me tell you. Luigi came into my room earlier, armed with a home-cooked meal. I knew he was planning something, because it was nothing but comfort food. I'm talking about a four-course meal. _Antipasti_, the pasta dish, the second dish and finally the dessert. Luigi did an excellent job of cheering me up. I'm now immune to Ridley's verbal jabs. And full._

_ God bless you, Luigi!_

_Samus A._

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Luigi's the total package! Nuff said!_

_DK_

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Luigi broke out Chutes and Ladders for us to play. Chutes and Ladders! I _love_ that game! After playing a few rounds of that, I was less angry. I felt ready to put my cards on the table, and I did just that. I told him about the temptations in my head, the feeling of being a helpless little kid, the connotations dropped onto my shoulders. He said that he's struggled with similar thoughts and temptations, but now he's wrangled them. I didn't even have to ask him for advice—he dispensed it for free. He's planning a sleepover tonight, and Samus, DK and Link already decided to come. I'll come, too._

_ Once I laid everything bare, the two of us went outside and played basketball. Truly, I've never asked for a better buddy than Luigi._

_Ness_

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ Sorry I was in such a funk earlier. But never again, never again! Luigi and I understand each other. We're the Green Team, for crying out loud—the freaking Green Team! While I was playing my ocarina, Luigi walked in and listened. After I was done playing tunes, we chatted each other up for a while. I don't know why, but the fact that he wears green, like me, makes him a lighthouse, guiding the small boat of my mind back home. I'm still Hyrule's protector; still the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. I still ride proudly astride Epona, demonstrate my swordsmanship with my Master Sword, and I'm still masterful at projectile warfare. Navi remains to give me guidance. I've received fan letters from gamers as well as the people of Hyrule. But by far, the one to still the storm within my heart is Luigi, my partner in green. We're unbreakable, Luigi and I. And we never have and never will run from a fight._

_ I thank you, Luigi, with all of my heart._

_Link_

**…**

_Dear Diary,_

_ My four newest compadres are here with me now—Samus, DK, Ness and Link. We have come together as one force, as one voice, five fires merging into a wild inferno. From now on, none of us will travel alone, and none of us will jump ship. Whatever happens, we'll brave it together. We are our last, our best, our only line of defense. We are the light returning to the darkness. We are the Fierce Five._

_Luigi_

* * *

**Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?**

**It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again!**

**When the beating of your heart matches the beating of the drums,**

**There's a new hope about to start when tomorrow comes!**

** -"Song of Angry Men", **_**Les Miserables**_

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	5. We're Not Gonna Take It

**We're Not Gonna Take It**

**Sir Meta Knight **replied to your comment: _You are correct, Luigi, and I admire your courage to come forward and speak your mind. It brings a great degree of pride to be first, but that doesn't make someone better than anyone else. It does not make the friendships you've established more or less valuable. You are still the same people who came together in April. I also understand your frustration and ambivalence toward the tier list. One should not judge another based on what someone or something else tells them, but the document in question has made some of your fellow Smashers do just that. I have seen the tier list, and though I am proud that my pupil is among those at the top, I hope he does not let it get to him._

** Isai** liked your comment.

**Isai** replied to your comment: _You tell them, bud! They have no right to dump on you just because of a piece of paper! I've attended most of your matches, and let me tell you, you've rocked the house. You are by far my favorite Smash fighter, and I look forward to maining you and seeing more of you in action. God bless, and take care, L._

Luigi smiled at the hits and positive comments his post had received. Finally, he was making some waves! He had already followed Meta's blog and decided to wait a while before following Isai's. Maybe he'd look harder at the audience before a match began, in order to identify his supporters.

However, he wondered why the bearer of Galaxia didn't offer his name up for consideration in this tournament. He was a fearsome knight, the only viable match for Kirby in battle. Maybe he'd ask him later.

"L? Five minutes!" called a Polygon who'd poked their head into Luigi's room.

"Okay, thanks," said Luigi, signing off the computer. He put on some deodorant and followed the Polygon to the designated stage.

The front row was already occupied, erupting in a massive cheer when Luigi arrived. The man in green lit up like a glowstick the minute he saw his big bro, and he waved enthusiastically to him. To Mario's left and right were Link and Ness, respectively. Luigi also saw Samus, DK, Kirby, Pikachu and Jiggs, smiling and blowing him kisses. Rounding out the front row population were a few old New York buddies, Stanley, Pauline—and Meta Knight and Isai! Isai was in full cosplayer gear, holding up a sign which proclaimed, LUIGI #1! The green-clad plumber blushed, the sudden rush of affection bringing tears to his eyes. Quickly, he brushed them away and psyched himself up. _I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!_

And with the encouraging crowd pepping him up, he did.

**…**

Shortly after Luigi's match, Samus found herself back in the gym, astride the stationary bicycle, pedaling for all she was worth. Her headphones were plugged into her portable CD player, snugly tucked into the pocket of her gym shorts. Eyes closed, breath coming out in noisy bursts, she let everything else fall away. Not just the list but also Falcon's smarminess. He was a handsome guy, and she couldn't get him out of her mind, but if he didn't come to his senses soon, then they would be over before they really began!

Outside, Master Hand chatted with the Polygon in charge of the facility.

"She's been in there for most of her free time," said the Polygon. "If she's not on some cardio machine, then she's swinging at the punching bag."

"I suppose she's taking it well," said Master.

"Better than most," shrugged the Polygon.

Quietly, the glove entered the gym and observed Samus in her imagined bike race, pretending she was biking across her native climate. Without her armor, the bounty hunter looked a bit—petite. Master was aware of the Polygon casting lingering gazes at her muscular, 5'8" frame, her sloping, tight tummy, strands of her blond hair working their way free of her ponytail and dangling before her face, fanning in and out as she breathed, the sweat giving sparkly hues to her skin. She smiled, eyes still closed, as she sunk further and further into her workout.

"Go take your break," Master ordered the Polygon. "I'll watch the facility in the meantime."

The Polygon nodded, sneaked one last look at Samus, and then left. That was when Master noticed that the Polygon had Falcon's build.

Master slid into the chair the Polygon had vacated, watching the gym, watching for entries and exits and watching Samus lunging into her cardio. The sight of her sweat-bathed form and the sound of her aggressive, open-mouthed exhales reminded the glove why he'd come here. Faithfully, he waited forty-five minutes before Samus slowed her legs, powered off the machine and dismounted, taking a big swig of ICE Sparkling water and draping a gym towel over her shoulders.

"You've been here this whole time?" she asked without even looking at MH.

"Yes. The Polygon's on a break."

"Hmm. Sure."

"So, how are you, Sam?"

"Peachy. Why?"

"I couldn't help but notice how you've hogged the gym since—you know."

"And your point?"

"You've seemed a little upset."

"I was, believe me," sighed Samus. "Then, I had Ridley salting the wound. But I feel better now."

"I'm happy for that," said MH, "Now, I get that 8th place isn't all that great, but you're still the Intergalactic Space Warrior. You're the woman who took on Mother Brain and won. Don't think that because of this list, you're no longer a good bounty hunter. I had this talk with DK, Ness and Link, too."

"Well, you don't need to have the talk with L," crowed Samus. "He's already over it. He's the reason why I feel better."

"Yeah, I'm noticing you five interacting more," said MH. "That's well. But the others are still your friends."

"Tell that to Fox and Mr. Big Stuff Falcon," snorted Samus.

"I'll take them aside on this matter soon," promised MH.

"Okay," said Samus. "Thanks for stopping by."

MH watched as she strode out of the gym.

**…**

Happy, upbeat music played inside the ice-cream parlor as Pikachu and Kirby walked in. Not sauntered, but entered. Pikachu's paw was entwined with Kirby's stump as they approached the counter.

"What can I get you?" asked the friendly Polygon manning the cash register.

The duo ordered a banana split. Together, they carried it to a seat by the window, where they proceeded to scoop up small spoonfuls and level them into each other's mouths.

It was more than a banana split. It was a simple self-reward over being ranked so high, a chance for them to celebrate their achievement together without drawing any attention. For Kirby and Pikachu, it was like a first date. They'd fallen in love from the moment the pink fluffball had assuaged Pikachu's separation anxiety and home sickness. Flirtily feeding each other a banana split, the duo felt closer than ever. All that was missing was a singer serenading them with a love ballad.

Kirby's face (body?) was smeared with whipped cream and fudge, while Pikachu had strawberry ice-cream plastered all over his lips. The S tiers giggled at the mess they were making, the mess which they proceeded to lick away. Once they were licked clean, they proceeded to get messy and sticky again as the Polygon amusedly looked on.

Ah, young love.

"Hello, you two."

Pikachu and Kirby turned at the sound of MH's voice. He floated at the parlor's entrance, smiling wryly.

"I must say, you make an adorable couple," MH went on.

"Pika"-ing and "poyo"-ing nearly drowned him out.

"Just friends, you say? Well, judging by the fun you're having with that ice cream, your friendship could turn into—something more."

"Poyo poyo poyo poy poyoyo poyoyo poyo," admitted Kirby.

"Oh, so you're celebrating about the tier list?" asked MH.

"Poyo," nodded Kirby.

"It's good to be happy, and I admit, it's something to celebrate. Just—don't get too carried away, all right? You can't fight if you're stuffed to the gills."

"Pika, pika, pika-pi," Pikachu piped up.

"Oh, definitely. I'm certain that Ash would be extremely proud to hear this," said MH, referring to the electric mouse's young trainer. Turning to Kirby, he added, "The citizens of Dreamland, especially Sir Meta Knight, would be extremely proud of their little hero."

"Pika," said Pikachu.

"Your fellow Pokémon would also be happy for you," MH said to him, "and Misty would definitely be jumping for joy. Is she still with Ash?"

Pikachu nodded.

"It's clear that those in your home world will have greater reason to regale you," said MH, "but remember, your placement on the tier list does not mean special privileges. You still have to follow the rules."

"Pika."

"Poyo."

"Besides, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're better than all the rest. You just have better match-ups on the battlefield."

"Poyo poyo poyo poyo poy popoyo, poyoyo," Kirby said softly.

"Good going, Kirby. Not letting your rankings sour your friendships is a wise move," said MH, "but I must warn you, some Smashers will."

"Pika?" queried Pikachu.

"Because—that's just the way they are."

Kirby bit his lip. "Poyo poyo."

"Wait—what about Luigi?"

"Poyo poyo poyo poyo popoyo," Kirby sighed sadly.

"It's natural to be upset over something. It leaves—a bitter taste in the mouth. But Luigi's a strong man. He's seeing the other C tiers through and making his voice heard on our blog. Actually, he's quite good on the battlefield with his powerful attacks. It's his floatiness, high short hop and awkwardness which hinders him. It's all about the physics."

"Pika, pika, pika."

"Poyo!" chirped Kirby.

MH smiled. "Good thinking! Luigi certainly _can_ use his poor traction to his advantage. Maybe if we do another tournament, then I'll teach the fighters a thing I like to call 'wavedashing'. Like I said, being last on the tier list doesn't necessarily make him bad."

Kirby and Pikachu animatedly discussed the matter among themselves over their banana split.

"Perhaps you'd like to save some of that for him?" offered MH. "To cheer him up?"

"YES!"

The moment was broken as Falcon and Fox pompously sauntered into the parlor.

"Douglas, you scared me!" cried MH. "What brings you two here?"

"Guess what, MH—we're with the champions!" announced Falcon, "and we wanna celebrate with a nice sundae on the house!"

"Sorry, you two, but you'll have to pay up like everyone else."

Fox and Falcon protested loudly.

"Can we at least get a discount?" Falcon ventured to ask.

Kirby broke in with a firm "Poyo!"

"Heavy hangs the head that last night wore the crown," admonished the glove with a wag of his finger.

"Whatever!" snapped Falcon. "Can we get something sweet, please?"

"Only if you can pay for it."

The Polygon managed to convince Falcon and Fox to pay the full cost for a premium sundae each. Kirby and Pikachu cast them disapproving looks as they took their seats and dug into their treats with over-the-top bragging.

"I'd better go see about the others," MH said to them. "Let me know if you need anything. Fox, Falcon—try to behave."

The duo grunted.

MH was about to make his exit when he heard this:

"Hey, Fox, maybe later we can go get that last-place loser; see how low he is," proposed Douglas.

"Ah. I'm in."

Kirby and Pikachu exchanged alarmed glances. They had to warn Luigi!

"I didn't hear that," murmured Master Hand, "and I strongly suggest that I don't hear it again."

He floated back to his office, leaving the four to their own affairs. After planning out the day's final wave of matches, he perused the security monitors for a while, eventually drifting off to sleep—

**…**

"Headed somewhere?"

The Polygon in the Training Area swiveled round. "I'm just taking a bathroom break."

Luigi nodded. "I'll be waiting when you get back."

As the humanoid went off to attend to their business, Luigi stood, too wired to sit. It had happened again. He'd received several sardonic responses to his post, and some bloggers had exercised no restraint in lambasting him. Passing the ice-cream parlor, he'd heard Douglas and Fox, bragging up a storm. What was with those two? Why couldn't they be like Pikachu and Kirby, still friendly and welcoming and open? No worries, though—he'd bring their distorted worldview crashing down on them!

Hardly two minutes later had the Polygon reemerged. "I'm back."

Luigi said nothing as he walked up to the Polygon. As he drew closer, he realized that this Polygon looked similar to a certain uppity racer. Taking his time, Luigi looked his training partner up and down, thoroughly inspecting the Polygon as a child would inspect a yummy dessert before eating it. He saw slight fear registering on the Polygon's face and responded by closing off the remaining space between them. Excitement brewed within him as he touched his bulbous nose to the Polygon's. His mouth curved upwards into a smile the Polygon hoped never to see again. Face darkening, Luigi circled the Polygon like a band of bandits circling a wagon, with the Polygon trying to follow the plumber's stare. Blue eyes glided over the etchings of the Polygon's abs, imagining that they were Falcon's abs, rippling beneath that racer costume. He started breathing erratically, licking his lips as he allowed himself to picture his fists meeting that ripped torso, furious reds, ugly greenish-browns and purples blooming all over his marvelous, handsome physique. His stomach puffing in and out as he gasped for breath—oh, Luigi would make sure that it hurt to breathe. Then, he fantasized blood slowly drooling from wounds on Falcon's ab-tastic frame and his charming, square face. Looking into the smarmy Captain's masked eyes and seeing them glaze over—and now he could see him crumpled on the floor, remorseful and ashamed over trashing him so, _quivering_—and being the nice person he was, Luigi would be merciful. But the Captain would learn—as would Fox.

The Polygon barely saw the blow coming.

Luigi yelled, a passionate sound, as he sent another fist flying into the Polygon. He rained blow after blow on his training partner. Said training partner was caught off guard, not expecting such an offensive from the man in green. Their body was sturdy, and they tried to return some of the attacks dealt to them. But Luigi had the jump on them, setting ravenously on the stomach area until it hurt to stand straight and then whaling away at the face, continuing to yell and yell and yell, his movements becoming more animated, and the more he trained, the more wired he grew.

The Polygon had no room to advance. They could only scuttle backward, Luigi's assault eventually forcing them into a corner of the room. Now, all they could do was hold their ground as the plumber continued to attack from everywhere, hollering and sweating and pretending it was "Show Me Your Moves" Falcon or some other higher tier sneering down at him. Good thing Luigi had a good imagination—it was hard to see injuries on the Polygon's purple body. The training session, if you could call it that, went on for what seemed like hours.

"Excuse me, sir. Would you like me to relieve you?"

The action halted. Mario had entered the Training Area, scrutinizing the scene before him.

"Thank Heaven you've come," sighed the Polygon. "He's all yours!" And with that, they limped away.

Mario waited as Luigi calmed himself down. "Nice to see you, Bro."

"Nice to see you, too."

Then, Mario strode up to his baby bro because he looked like he needed him, and without a word, he hugged him.

"I bet I can withstand your attacks more than that Polygon," said Mario.

"I bet I can topple you right here, right now," Luigi shot back. "Best of seven?"

"You're on."

A pulse-racing brotherly battle ensued in the Training Area, Luigi reminding Mario about his lie by omission earlier, and Mario seeing the key similarities to and differences from his brother. Nobody else dared enter that Training Area as the Mario Bros relentlessly comboed and bodied each other, sweating out everything that had happened so far. Luigi's excitement and anticipation sprouted as the hours sparring with Mario passed. He was a cobra, coiled and hissing, ready to strike and sink its teeth into an unsuspecting intruder. He was a Bob-omb, fuse lit, seconds from blowing. Many metaphors could be used to compare to him, all of them volatile. This man in green hoped that everyone was watching—and that the makers of that stupid list were praying!

**Please R&R.**


	6. A Brawl is Surely Brewing

**A Brawl is Surely Brewing**

**Ego (**_**n**_**): 1: the self as distinguished from others**

**Egoism (**_**n**_**): 2: excessive concern for oneself with or without exaggerated feelings of self-importance**

**Egotism (**_**n**_**): the practice of talking about oneself too much; an exaggerated sense of self-importance**

**-from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 6****th**** ed. (2004)**

Luigi was a good clubber and an expert party guy. He was responsible, often a designated driver, or designated a driver when the lure of liquor was too strong for him. He watched his drinks to make sure he didn't become totally smashed, but if he did, he'd always make sure he wouldn't find himself passed out in an unknown, deserted alley. Even if his days were bad, he'd never rely primarily on alcohol to make them better. He'd have pasta, pizza or his favorite activities to do that.

A Poppin' Purple Tanqueray sat in front of him in a funny-shaped glass. The first time he had a Poppin' Purple Tanqueray was in this very lounge, to ease the first-day jitters. One sip, and he fell in love. Equal parts sweet and tangy, lemony and melon-y, with the right amount of kick. The Polygon bartender had caught on quickly, so whenever Luigi walked into the lounge, they made sure a glass of Poppin' Purple Tanqueray was waiting for him. Luigi tipped that Polygon generously.

Luigi took another sip of Poppin' Purple Tanqueray and smiled. Differences seemed to have been abandoned as the Smashers sought some R&R together. All except (surprise!) Fox and Falcon, who were holed up in the latter's room, blasting rock and rap tunes at max volume and getting plugged to the gills. Luigi had happened upon their room, wishing to speak to them, but he was so disgusted with what he heard that he abandoned the venture. So, he took refuge in his favorite lounge, with his new favorite drink, savoring the friendly atmosphere.

Upper tiers and lower tiers mixed and mingled. Luigi saw Yoshi join Kirby and Pikachu for a few rounds of darts. Mario, DK and a gaggle of Polygons played charades. Ness was playing some card game with Samus. Jiggs swayed to the music while Link busted a move. The dance floor was already occupied with various Polygons.

One by one, each Smasher in the lounge abandoned their activities, the music calling to them like the Pied Piper luring all of the children away. One by one, they joined the Polygons on the dance floor. Luigi's eyes were glued to the dancing bodies, and he felt the music and the drink inside of him. He was wound so tight and needed release. And so he picked up his drink and made his way to the floor.

And then he was in the middle of the crowd, dancing. 80s electronic disco, 80s and 90s dance, hip-hop and pop. Techno, synth, party music. Luigi worked up a sweat to these sweet beats. Unfortunately, he wasn't as careful with his drink as he would've liked, and it sloshed over the glass and all over him, his tongue licking it off. The others began to take notice of his limber, shimmying body and began sending their own energy to him. Luigi saw that he had their attention and really started busting loose, breaking down his body as the songs melted into each other. The Polygons tried to copy his steamy little shimmy and did sloppy jobs of doing so. Back in his home world, Luigi was a very good dancer, one thing he could best Mario at. The Toads would be screaming over him, just like the Smashers were screaming over him, and fawning and further stimulating him with their cries. Oh, _how_ he danced! His body let out the inhibitions and frustrations he'd carried with him all day. Smash had become a competitive world, but here, things were more relaxed. He put his lips to his glass and sipped down some more of that precious nectar. And then he stopped thinking about everything and danced some more.

**This is the rhythm of the night  
The night, oh yeah  
The rhythm of the night  
This is the rhythm of my life  
My life, oh yeah  
The rhythm of my life**

**You could put some joy upon my face  
Oh, sunshine in an empty place  
Take me to turn to, and babe I'll make you stay**

**Oh, I can ease you of your pain  
Feel you give me love again  
Round and round we go, each time I hear you say**

**This is the rhythm of the night  
The night, oh yeah  
The rhythm of the night  
This is the rhythm of my life  
My life, oh yeah  
The rhythm of my life**

**Won't you teach me how to love and learn  
There'll be nothing left for me to yearn  
Think of me and burn, and let me hold your hand**

**I don't wanna face the world in tears  
Please think again, I'm on my knees  
Sing that song to me, no reason to repent  
I know you wanna say it**

When he could no longer ignore his parched throat, he danced his way back to his seat, where the bartender saw him, all sweaty and winded, and immediately mixed a refill of his drink. Luigi thanked him and settled down to catch his breath, beginning to suck down his beverage. The beginnings of tipsiness were there, the tingle, the peculiar wildness, and Luigi welcomed it. Back he skipped to the dance floor, resuming his shimmying dance and then beginning to undulate and wind his hips. Everyone screamed in admiration. He snaked his free hand through his hair and down himself, allowing himself more freedom than he would back home. The slow, suggestive grind. Rocking, bumping and swaying through a riff. He put his hands on the waist of the Polygon dancing against him and slid them up their body. Another Polygon came up from behind and sandwiched him between the two, three bodies in motion. Gently, Luigi would tip some of his beverage into the mouths of his dance partners, and they'd offer him sips of their margaritas. Luigi was really loosening up now, and he was having a lot of fun.

Then, there was a salsa song with a beat which Luigi claimed as his, so the other dancers stepped back and let him have the floor. Luigi really loved dancing to salsa music.

After that came a few more songs Luigi didn't quite catch the names of. And he just let everything that happened today trickle out and away, because through dance, he could really express himself. He lit up that floor until his glass was empty, and he didn't even notice that until the songs slowed down a bit. By then, Luigi was in need of recharging.

"You feeling alright, man?" asked the Polygon, armed with another refill.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," smiled Luigi, flipping the bartender some G. He settled back and let his pulse return to normal as he nursed his drink.

"You can always count on me, okay?" said the Polygon.

"Okay."

Several more trips to the dance floor later, Luigi was drenched in sweat. The Polygon served him an extra tall glass of ice cold water along with another glass of Poppin' Purple.

"On the house," they said.

Luigi blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he thanked the Polygon, the dancing having done its job. The man in green was wound less tightly and less bothered by the tier list still tacked on the corkboard in the Main Hall.

_Things are looking up right now_, he thought to himself. _We'll fight our last matches, eat dinner and go to bed. Tomorrow, we'll go back to our normal routine_.

The man in green took another swallow. He'd end this day in peace.

But just as he made that resolution, the peace was shattered.

"Hey! Hey, hey!" boomed a familiar voice.

So drunk that they had to support each other, Falcon and Fox had crashed the party. The dancing stopped. The music stopped. Everything stopped.

"Oh, my God. I don't believe it," murmured a Polygon.

"Can I help you guys?" asked Mario, taking charge of the situation.

"Where is he?" slurred Douglas. "The last-place loser? You're the bottom of the food chain, buddy!"

Luigi sat rigidly, barely breathing.

"Somebody here had better explain the pecking order to him, because it's not fun-and-games anymore!" hiccupped Fox.

_Yeah, thanks to you_, thought Luigi.

"Are you guys drunk?" asked Mario.

"What? We're not allowed to indulge in guilty pleasures?" huffed Fox.

"I never said that!" Mario retorted.

"Shall I get the bouncers?" asked the bartender.

"No, no," said Mario. "Everything's under control."

"The two of you had better have a good explanation to Master Hand for this," said Samus, "and Douglas, before you even start, drinking and flirting do not mix."

Luigi stared hard at the reflections of Fox and Falcon in his glass as a finger leisurely circled the rim.

"C'mon, you n—b! You can't hide from us!" challenged Falcon. "Let's go! Let's see how low you are!"

In a smoothly executed motion, Luigi drained the last of his glass. Setting it down, he turned to face to two interlopers. They saw that his eyes were still clear, and he wasn't swaying or wavering, either. But the way he was looking at them, though—it was a look which would send even the almighty Koopa running for the hills.

Luigi slid off his chair and onto his feet to soft applause from the Polygons, Samus, Link, DK and Ness. Pikachu and Kirby watched with greedy eyes. Jiggs's and Yoshi's eyes darted from the good Captain to the plumber. And Mario warily gazed upon the tense scene.

"Luigi…" he breathed.

Those bright eyes flicked to him, practically begging Mario to try and stop him. Steadily, he moved toward the drunk A tiers, casually rolling up one sleeve and then the other. People tended to call him a string bean, but his limbs had some meat to them; all they had to do was look closely enough, and they'd see. Muscles, tendons and nerves flexed, contracted and stretched as Luigi made tight and hard fists and raised them up to his face, his singular, acidic stare boring into Falcon and Fox.

As the DJ put on another song, Falcon yelled out, "Yes! Time to settle this like men—if you're even capable of doing _that_!"

**Yo listen up, here's the story  
About a little guy that lives in a blue world  
And all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue  
Like him, inside and outside  
Blue his house with a blue little window  
And a blue Corvette  
And everything is blue for him  
And himself and everybody around  
'Cause he ain't got nobody to listen**

Fox talked smack, but he apparently was in no mood for a fight. He left that task to Captain Falcon.

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

Straight at Luigi the muscular racer lunged, and was met halfway with a well calculated and coordinated punch. The man in green then darted right in and lit into the good Captain's ripped upper body. Falcon had charged in blindly and was now paying for it, the alcohol making his movements sluggish and clumsy. Luigi, on the other hand, was still lightning on his feet and had his opponent figured out like a Rubik's Cube. He could easily dodge and parry wild, badly aimed blows. Who could've known that he'd consumed almost as much spirits as Douglas? It was hard to tell as Luigi cleverly threw Falcon off-balance by dodging his attacks and then used him as a punching bag, bludgeoning away at the face once he was certain the racer would be bent double for a while. His body pivoted and sent hooks smashing into Falcon's ears, disorienting him further. Then, he'd pelt that handsome, chiseled face with his fireballs and blast away some more at the abdominal region—perhaps a bit lower—when he noticed Douglas trying to straighten back up.

**I have a blue house with a blue window  
Blue is the color of all that I wear  
Blue are the streets and all the trees are too  
I have a girlfriend and she is so blue  
Blue are the people here that walk around  
Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside  
Blue are the words I say and what I think  
Blue are the feelings that live inside me**

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

They circled one another, and Luigi waited for Falcon to rush at him again, which he did. Luigi caught him with a sharp left cross, got right in his face and unleashed a controlled firestorm of blows on that masculine frame. Punching, kicking and even grappling with and throwing his opponent. Luigi heard shouts, starting with the C tier group and spreading like a pandemic. It was a virus inside him, a virus which quickly took hold, and he absorbed the shouts and listened to the music and his breathing as he sidestepped haphazard swings and counterattacked quickly, and then threw some fireballs before causing Falcon to reel once more.

**I have a blue house with a blue window  
Blue is the color of all that I wear  
Blue are the streets and all the trees are too  
I have a girlfriend and she is so blue  
Blue are the people here that walk around  
Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside  
Blue are the words I say and what I think  
Blue are the feelings that live inside me**

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

**I'm blue da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa  
Da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa, da ba dee da ba daa**

The persistent tempo of the music. The shouts taking on cadence. Falcon's words stuck in his head. Fox's voice, mocking him despite the fact that Mario had ambushed him and now gripped his waist in a bear hug. The slur in Falcon's voice as he continued to rile him up. The tier list, still hanging nonchalantly on that bulletin board. And the spectators, gamers, tier list makers and suits, making a decision about him before he could have a real chance to show them what he could do.

Suddenly, Falcon rebounded with unrelenting punches to Luigi's face and body. He dealt some devastating knee strikes and plenty of good ones under the chin. Maybe the alcohol was starting to wear off, or the good Captain was starting to realize who he was dealing with. But Luigi had put his mind to something, and he was going to get it done. He streamed out a slow breath and kept up his attacks, staying on the offensive, staying focused, his fantasies becoming reality as he continued to hammer away at Falcon's abs, sides, torso, shoulders and face. The pupils of his eyes dilated as the cheers and hollers increased in intensity and the songs kept playing and playing. His heartbeat sounded like tam-tams in his chest, and his emotions were all over the place. His eyes shot pain more accurately than his fists, but Falcon was still in his own little world and wanted to show this C tier who was boss.

Luigi wouldn't give him the satisfaction of throwing caution to the wind in exchange for brute force. Nor would he allow him to see that his provocations were actually working. When word of this got out, Luigi was going to be the victim and Falcon the instigator. It would be determined that Luigi acted in self-defense. So, he hung back when he wanted to charge and saved his angry assault for when the racer was barreling at him. Falcon wasn't going to twist this incident around. And the witnesses would all agree—the good Captain started this.

Luigi was really getting into it when Douglas decided to play dirty. Snatching up a tumbler, he let the liquid fly straight into his opponent's face. The plumber reeled backwards with a startled shout. Taking advantage of the distraction, the racer threw a hefty punch to Luigi's face. The plumber let out a grunt of pain as he stumbled, and then Falcon caught him by his overall strap, sending a barrage of punches into him. To finish, he delivered a crushing uppercut which sent Luigi crashing to the floor.

Now he'd done it. _Now_ he'd done it. Now Luigi was _really_ mad.

As he got back up, he heard Falcon continuing to spew his drunken garbage and turned to see him, arms spread wide, yelling at him to show him his moves, as if he didn't already.

Oh—kay. That's torn it. Falcon wanted moves, and he'd get moves. A hangover the next morning would be the least of his problems. He was going to remember this day—and remember the man in green.

"Luigi…" said Mario, his grip on Fox slackening. The vulpine broke free and wisely decided to make himself scarce.

Douglas seemed to enjoy pushing Luigi's buttons and continued to do so, the slurred shouting making the plumber's nostrils flare dangerously. He held it all in to the point he couldn't take anymore—_he just couldn't take anymore and he was going to give in to this rage and fall into Douglas's trap_—until Douglas lost patience and barreled at him, Luigi's cue to release the proverbial restraints and make this guy eat his words. All bets were off now. His fists flew with amazing precision, forcing Falcon to retreat toward a wall. None of those fancy moves could save him from Luigi's concerted assault. Falcon could lash back, but Luigi recovered quickly. He wasn't going to be the loser the racer insisted he was.

Nobody in that lounge knew, but there was another spectator watching this fistfight. And he was watching it from outside the door, positioned so that he could see them, but they couldn't see him. It was Master Hand, awakened from his nap by the commotion, and from the moment he walked in on this fight, his sights on Luigi never strayed for a moment. He saw the tempestuous fury coloring his face. He saw two tiny images of Falcon reflected in those animated, dilated pupils. He felt the explosive emotions dancing inside the plumber's soul. He felt the sparkles of determination and his shamelessness over doing something he knew was wrong. He saw the Smashers and Polygons circling the two, most if not all of them cheering for Luigi. He heard the shouts blending together and the music playing. He saw Luigi take blows as if they were nothing; he saw the blood pouring all over his battered face. He saw Falcon's obviously drunken state. And he saw the _looks_ Luigi continued to give the racer, the looks signifying that he was fed up, wired, cross and not going to take b.s. from people like him anymore. Nobody called him a n—b and got away with it!

The first peals of exhilarated hollering exploded from Luigi's lips. The raucous noises from the others and the upbeat dance hits got to him. His voice rose and rose, nearly muffling the sounds of the blows both sides traded. From his viewing spot, MH still didn't know whether to punish the combatants for breaking the rules or just let them fight their own battle out. He knew that he needed to break up the fight before anyone was seriously injured, but at the same time, the good Captain had put his fellow Smashers through the wringer. Luigi took the brunt of a ton of mess today, and MH saw how inspired Samus, DK, Ness and Link were to see the worst fighter on the roster making a stand. As Luigi began yelling more explosively, MH's mind was made up. He'd let this particular brawl slide for now, but if any more fights were instigated outside of the tournament, then those involved would be punished accordingly.

The Hand of Creation withdrew to his office to let Mr. Sakurai know via e-mail how wonderful and helpful the tier list was before returning to the lounge to spectate the fight.

Fury radiated off of every pore in Luigi's skin as he glowered at Falcon. His fists clenched tightly, and his nostrils pulsated in and out. He glimpsed Mario, also giving Douglas a look that could kill. The elder brother's eyes met the younger's, and he mentally reminded himself never to get on Luigi's bad side. He knew that if his baby bro ever looked at anyone like that, then they'd be in for all kinds of Hell.

Douglas advanced on Luigi once more, only to be stopped with a solid uppercut. Reeling, Falcon took numerous swipes at his opponent, but in his dazed state, only a sorry few connected. Meanwhile, Luigi's fists hammered and hammered into the racer's body, and now the latter was in bad trouble, trapped against the wall as everyone else in the lounge cheered at his misfortune. Eventually, Douglas regained his wits and fought back as best as he could, but Luigi was too strong, too close. He had his instigator right where he wanted him, coldly smashing at his face and solar plexus. But then, Falcon managed to get a kick in, knocking Luigi away. The plumber landed on his back, temporarily winded by the impact.

Anyone else would've taken the opportunity to go on the offensive, but not Captain Falcon. He resumed spewing indignant phrases at the downed man in green while trying to play up the crowd. Luigi regained his wind, feeling the heat blazing all over him and hearing the crowd shouting to him. Something about their shouts and the sight of Douglas standing there jeering at him and the throbbing from where his strikes connected _really_ set him off. Steadying his breathing, Luigi pushed himself back to his feet. Douglas slurred something about him wanting more where that came from and lunged.

By now, the racer's attacks had grown more coordinated, and he managed to land some very hard blows. But that didn't deter Luigi—he was gonna prove his point, even if it got him suspended or booted from the tournament. So, he fought with more finesse and caution, evading Falcon's swings and sending him staggering with even harder strikes, yelling and hollering his lungs out. His shouts echoed throughout the lounge, answering the crowd's cheers, and he didn't give a d—n if MH overheard them. Blood thudded in his ears, keeping time with the punches and fireballs he thudded into the good Captain. He was just—done. Done with being underestimated, done with being picked on because of some piece of paper and done with witnessing others being picked on for the same reason. Super Smash Brothers gave him an opportunity to prove his mettle, and they were trying to yank that opportunity from him. This was over half a day of frustration shooting to the surface. Even without the alcohol, Luigi was bound to snap sooner or later!

There was no telling how long this brawl went on, and Luigi frankly didn't care. He and Falcon just kept on trading punches, so full of raw emotion and liquor that it barely hurt. But then—Luigi felt arms around his waist and saw more arms round Falcon's waist, pulling the two apart. The plumber swore and struggled against the people holding him—until a familiar voice spoke into his ear.

"Hey, hey. It's all right. It's okay. You did good."

Mario held his baby bro tightly, aided by Link and Ness. The three of them hastened Luigi to another part of the lounge, where a Polygon handed him another glass of water. Shakily, Luigi drank it down, his chest heaving and his heart racing. Anger still filled him, and he wanted another go at Captain Falcon, but his bro's grip on him was firm.

"He's not worth it, Lil' Bro," Mario said softly. "He's just not worth it." He, Link and Ness took turns rubbing the small of the agitated plumber's back.

"He…" Luigi's voice jerked. "He called me a…"

"Shh—I know," said Mario.

The Polygon came by with another glass of water. Luigi's hand was steadier as he raised the glass to his lips and drank.

"Wow, Luigi," said Link. "You're considered no good because you're last on the tier list, but here you are, standing up to a smug S.O.B. I'm gonna tell Zelda what I saw here tonight, how you made that cocky racer regret calling you a n—b. I'm proud of you, L."

"As am I," Mario chimed in. "I wanted to give Falcon and Fox the bum's rush, but then Falcon called you that _name_, and that look you gave him—I feel sorry for anyone who tries to [bleep] with you."

They watched as DK and Samus helped a few Polygons carry Falcon to his room, the racer hiccupping and saying unintelligible things. As he was carried past Luigi, the man in green's eyes blazed, his face hardened, his fists clenched and his breath quickened. Spitting out a curse, he sprang forward, but Link and Mario hauled him back.

"I hope he learns something from this," Samus whispered to them.

"I hope so, too," Mario said softly.

MH wore an amused look as he watched his Smashers break up the fight. Perhaps they'd sensed his presence? Either way, he was glad that the brawl had ended with no property damage or severe injuries.

However, as far as this whole thing with the tier list was concerned, he was going to have a serious talk with everyone about it tomorrow.

**Please R&R.**


	7. The Longest Night of Rain

**The Longest Night of ****Rain**

**Where did I go wrong?**

**I lost a friend**

**Somewhere along in the bitterness;**

**And I would have stayed up with you all night**

**Had I known how to save a life…**

**-The Fray**

Night had fallen in the Smash Mansion, a calm night to end a tense day. A soft wind blew as daytime flowers closed their buds and nighttime flowers opened theirs. Crickets sent up a chirping harmony as a crescent moon presented a luminous sliver and stars formed themselves into constellations.

Luigi was seated at his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard, blogging like crazy. He was still wired from the incident in the lounge, the adrenaline morphing from action to words. He minced no words in describing the "pecking order" that Smash had turned into, with him in the position to be "pecked" the most. He detailed the burning anger which had engulfed him, amplified by Falcon's antics. He wrote about the pain from what the spectators were doing to him. He lambasted the burgeoning community for turning their backs on friends they'd made days ago and accused the gamers and higher-ups of placing him last for the sole purpose of tormenting him. He thanked the fans who hadn't abandoned him. His words sizzled into the computer screen; his posts were paragraphs long. They could be dissertations! There was no keeping quiet now. Everything tumbled out of him in waterfalls. He continued to type until his fingers went stiff, and still, he couldn't sleep.

Luigi turned off the computer, poured himself a glass of sweet wine and wandered to his window, staring into the night. The fingers of his free hand gripped the windowsill as Falcon and Fox's words echoed in his mind. So, he was the prey, and they were the predators? Well, one of the "predators" was currently conked out in his room, mottled with the largest bruises you'd ever seen. As for the other—Luigi really had no way of knowing. What was _wrong_ with those two? Why couldn't they just be like the lovable duo of Kirby and Pikachu and maintain their new bonds? Once upon a time, they could be in the same room with certain fighters and not feel repulsed. But now—getting wasted, trying to intimidate him and push him around and calling him names? Luigi had come in second for as long as he could remember, but there was only so much he could take!

He stood there, taking careful sips of his wine and fighting the tears worrying at his eyes. Feelings of betrayal swirled with the intense anger he still felt. All he wanted to know was—why? Why were Falcon and Fox so quick to change their minds about him? Why couldn't they see that he was more than just "the worst fighter in Smash"? Why did Falcon call him that name? Why were they acting like they were above everyone else? Why, why, why?

_C'mon, you n—b! Let's go! Let's see how low you are!_

_ Where is he, the last-place loser? You're the bottom of the food chain, buddy!_

Luigi had tried to be nice. But those words and that name had been the straw that broke the camel's back. The drinks he'd downed had played a small factor in his decision to get physical, too, but still.

"Let's see how _high_ you are," he hissed, downing the last of his wine and setting his glass on the bedside table. Suddenly, he whirled on his pillow, grabbing it, slamming it down and then punching it angrily, pretending it was one of the A tiers. By the time his rage attack had subsided, the pillow looked rumpled, but it was still intact. Luigi placed it back onto the bed, climbed in, drew the covers about him and tried to make his mind go blank.

He didn't succeed. His tears broke loose and seeped down his face as the last of the adrenaline wore off and the impact of being called those names registered fully inside of him.

The game of Twister that morning seemed lifetimes ago.

**…**

Mario heard his brother in the next room, crying. Despite his best efforts to stifle them, the sound of his sobs still came through. The man in red considered stopping by and asking him what was going on, but he knew the answer to the question was "no". Not after the stunt Captain Falcon had pulled that afternoon.

He should've stood up for Luigi. He should've given Falcon and Fox the bum's rush before things got out of hand. But he didn't—he'd stood by like a d—n fool and let those arrogant p—ks get in Luigi's face. If he'd said something, then maybe that brawl wouldn't have erupted. He could only pray that Master Hand would never find out about it and punish Luigi.

With a sigh, Mario slid out of bed and tiptoed over to the kitchen. In short order, he had all of the ingredients laid out, and he set to work making a dish he knew all too well. It was the same dish the Bros' _mamma_ would cook for them whenever their spirits were dampened, and only a few forkfuls of it would make them feel better. The nostalgia and comfort flooded through the portly plumber as he worked. All that was missing was the tunes playing on the radio.

Samus walked in just as Mario was mixing the sauce, seasoning and cheese into the cooked pasta. "Smells good," she said.

Mario spun around. "Sorry to wake you," he said.

"No harm done—I won't be able to sleep anyway," mused Samus.

"Falcon?"

"Yeah," replied Samus. "I don't know where his actions this afternoon leave us."

"You really do love him," realized Mario.

"I do," confessed Samus. "We have a lot in common, but—as soon as that list came up…" She spread her hands.

"How are you holding up?"

"Not good. He promised me when we were all looking at our rankings. He promised me that he wouldn't let it get to his head, and he's not keeping it. Then, I had Ridley breathing down my neck. I honestly can't blame Luigi for losing his [bleep]."

"He was so strong today, wasn't he?" asked Mario.

"He was," smiled Samus. "DK, Ness, Link and I were a little bummed out at being ranked so low, and I guess he saw that. Despite being last, he was comforting us instead of vice versa."

"I'm making this dish for him," said Mario. "Trying to be so strong for such a long time is taking its toll. Would you like to help me?"

"Sure," said Samus, tying back her hair, washing her hands and putting on an apron.

"I'll help, too," said Link, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"And me," said Ness.

"Okay!" DK chimed in.

"We owe him," added Ness.

The four C-tiers helped Mario put the finishing touches on the pasta dish before dividing it as evenly as possible among six plates. Additional cheese was sprinkled on top, Ness and Samus fetched some place settings and napkins, and then they all carried the food to Luigi's room.

By the time they arrived, Luigi's sobs had died down.

Gently, Mario knocked on the door. "Luigi?" he called.

The door opened, and Luigi peered at his visitors, his face sticky with tears. "Hey," he said.

"We brought you a little something," said Mario, indicating the food on the tray.

A smile began to scatter the storm on Luigi's face.

In no time at all, the six of them were seated on Luigi's bed, eating the pasta dish.

"I couldn't stand to hear you so upset, so I thought I'd might make you your favorite dish," explained Mario.

"Thanks, Bro," said Luigi.

"We should also say thanks," said Ness, "for helping us get through the day. In between the hecklers, the bloggers and Fox and Falcon, we would've gone insane if it weren't for you."

"Had to do what I had to do," said Luigi.

There was a long, comforting beat between them.

"I'm sorry, Luigi," said Mario.

"What for?"

"I should've stuck up for you this afternoon," Mario said regretfully. "I should've defended you from the heckling, I should've done _something_."

"Oh, Mario," said Luigi. "You've always wanted to stick up for me since we were boys. But I'm not a little kid anymore. As you saw in the lounge, I can handle myself."

"But still…"

Luigi put a hand on Mario's shoulder. "I'm a big boy," he said. "I know how to swim."

His gaze swept over Samus, Link, Ness and DK. "I know today was a difficult day," he said. "That tier list really took us by surprise. But we've faced worse than this. Samus—you not only beat Mother Brain but also faced off against a bloodthirsty space pirate. DK—you're the leader of the bunch, and everyone knows you well. You've defended an entire island against crocodile invaders. Link—you hold the Triforce of Courage, and you went head-to-head with a demon king. Ness—you have psychic powers, for God sakes, and you used them to help your friends defeat Gigyas. And as for me—I've spent fourteen years helping Mario defend a kingdom against a smug reptile who won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Yeah—we're no pushovers," agreed Link.

"And Luigi—we know you're looking out for us, but we wanna share that burden with you," said Samus. "You don't need to endure this alone."

"She's right," said Ness. "We gotta look out for each other."

"I think we all should knuckle tight and hold on," Samus went on, "because I have a feeling that our moment's coming, and when it does, everything's gonna fall into place."

Luigi smiled. "Indeed. Tomorrow, we're gonna wake up, start over fresh and show the Smash World that C-tiers aren't to be underestimated."

"Hear, hear," said Link.

"But for now," said Luigi. "Let's rest awhile."

Later that night, the six Smashers were curled up on Luigi's bed together, fast asleep.

**Please R&R.**


	8. Authority

**Authority**

**Authority (**_**n**_**): power to influence thought or behavior; persons in command**

**Authoritative (**_**adj.**_**): supported by, proceeding from or being an authority**

**-from **_**The Merriam-Webster Dictionary**_**, 6****th**** ed.**

As the night faded to gray dawn, Luigi stirred in his bed and opened his eyes. Samus, Ness, DK, Link and Mario were still snuggled around him, the man in red mumbling about various pasta foods and everyone else breathing softly. They'd provided much needed comfort, but as he came fully awake, the memory of Falcon's words resurfaced. He clenched his jaw as anger swept through him, and then he took several deep breaths. Carefully, he slid out of bed and tended to his toilette.

His companions awakened as he was about to take a shower.

"Morning," said Luigi.

"Morning," said Samus, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Thank you all," said Luigi, "for what you did last night. It really helped me settle down."

"My pleasure, of course," said Mario.

"Yeah—we had to do something," said Ness.

"Let's just hope things are different today," said Link.

"Doubt it," grunted DK.

"Guess we'd better get ready, too," said Mario. "See you later, Bro."

"Yeah. See ya," said Luigi.

The quintet filed out of Luigi's room and began their morning routines, along with the rest of the Smashers.

After a refreshing shower, Luigi changed into a green t-shirt and leggings before heading outside. A wad of cash was nestled in one pocket of his overalls, and change clinked in the other. Just across the way was a 24-hour convenience store which sold everything—and I do mean everything—a Smasher wanted and needed. This store was considerably smaller than its size today, but it still garnered satisfaction among its customers. It topped the list of the best convenience stores in the Smash World.

As the first birds awakened and sang their songs, Luigi disappeared into the store. About ten minutes later, he emerged with his arms full of merchandise. The sky had really begun to lighten when Luigi returned to his room.

He briefly leafed through his CD collection, removed the CD of his choice, turned on his stereo and placed the CD in. Then, from one of the bags of merchandise, he selected a practice dummy, complete with a realistic face and build. Luigi wasted no time in setting up the dummy. The salesperson who'd recommended this particular brand assured him that little or no assembly was required, which the man in green appreciated. Once the practice dummy was ready, Luigi put away the rest of his purchases, opened his curtains and his window, flicked off his lights, stripped off his shirt and hit the "play" button on the stereo.

And then he pounced on the dummy.

After the b.s. he'd been subjected to yesterday, Luigi was loaded for bear. He'd purposely selected a CD with lengthy, lyric-less songs so he could just pummel away. These practice dummies were the number one brand in the Smash World because of their ability to last a long time. Too bad they reminded him too much of Captain Falcon—otherwise, he wouldn't have focused so much on the stomach area and then the face, shouting as the leftover rage surged to the surface. Now, the dummy before him was merely a mangled mess of clay, the face smashed off and the stomach a gaping crater. There were dents along the neck area where Luigi had practiced some strikes to the throat. Once the practice tool had been completely rendered useless, Luigi simply replaced it with a fresh one and kept going. When his CD ran through, he popped in a new one. And on and on and on and on and on and on it went until he ran out of practice dummies, until he heard his perspiration dripping on the carpet, until his knuckles were sore and until the last of his foul mood had been blasted away. He turned off his stereo, cleaned up his room and plunked himself down beside the window, his breath steadying. Once he could breathe through his nose without difficulty, he downed a bottle of Gatorade.

"Today's going to be better," he told himself.

Then, he took another refreshing shower and dressed in his usual shirt, coveralls, peppermint-stripe socks, boots and cap. It was almost breakfast time, and Luigi couldn't wait to get some food in his belly.

**…**

As the Smashers were finishing up their breakfast, Master Hand's voice crackled over the PA system. "All Smashers, please report to the main hall immediately. Leave your belongings behind. And no talking."

By the tone of his voice, everyone knew that something had happened, and that MH was _not_ happy. Falcon, still sporting a dull headache, was especially alarmed by this sudden meeting. Fox, also battling his own guilt, placed a paw on the racer's shoulder.

Silently, the twelve filed into the main hall and sat on the chairs provided for them, waiting uneasily for Master Hand. They didn't have long to wait before he warped into the room.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning, Master Hand," chorused the Smashers.

"I suppose you'd like to know why you're here," said MH.

"Yes, Master Hand."

"I summoned you here because I want to make a clarification about the list hanging on our bulletin board," MH began. "That list is not to be used as a tool to judge others or as an excuse to pick on or harass someone just because you're higher up than them. That list is designed for competitive purposes only."

"What are you getting at, Master Hand?" Falcon had the gall to ask.

Luigi fired him an incredulous look, but remained silent.

"I am greatly disappointed in the display I observed yesterday," the giant glove sternly went on. "Some of you were actively excluding others from your group. You were shamelessly mocking your friends and talking down to them. You were treating them like somebody's kid sister or brother. That list is not a social scale—yet you're treating it as such."

He paused to allow his words to sink in.

"And do you know what I've seen on our blog? It's open season for the lower-ranked fighters. I have placed a suspension on their accounts until they remove those abusive posts and apologize. As for the fighters involved in this, such atrocious behavior ends today. Forever. This is your first and only warning. I called this tournament so different universes can meet and have fun, not tear each other to pieces. So, if I find out that you're continuing to use that list as a way to harass your fellow fighters, then you will be punished severely. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master Hand." Nobody wanted to incur the wrath of the tournament's creator and master-of-ceremonies.

"Your matches will commence in thirty minutes," said Master Hand. "Dismissed."

The twelve fighters got up to prepare for the day's bouts.

Douglas stopped Luigi as he was about to leave. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," said Luigi.

"I feel bad about yesterday," sighed Douglas.

"I'm sure you do, because of that hangover," quipped Luigi.

"No, I mean I feel _very_ bad," clarified Falcon. "Like—it was wrong for me to act like that."

"Yes, it was," said Luigi.

"Maybe I shouldn't have called you that name and said that you were a loser."

"No, you shouldn't have," Luigi tersely stated.

"I kinda acted like an idiot."

"You _definitely _acted like an idiot, and you know it," Luigi icily told him.

"It was just—I was drunk and felt on top of the world and…"

"Like _that_'s an excuse," huffed Luigi.

"I deeply regret everything," sighed Falcon.

Luigi's voice softened just a bit. "I know," he said.

"Yeah, man," Fox chimed in. "You know I didn't mean all that about a pecking order. And—you're not the bottom of the food chain."

"Oh, yeah. You saw that yourself," winked Luigi.

"We swear that we'll never act superior like that again," promised Falcon, hand over his heart. "Can you ever forgive us?"

Luigi looked from one A tier to the other, taking in their hangdog faces, his mind alive with the sounds of their obnoxious shouting and drunken hooting and Falcon baiting him about showing moves and calling him that _name_—

But then he told himself that Fox and Falcon were taking a risk by apologizing, and the least he could do was meet them halfway. It didn't stop their actions from hurting, though.

Finally, he spoke. "We'll see."

And with that, Luigi turned and made a brisk exit.

Fox and Falcon exchanged glances and then shrugged. It was better than nothing.

_We'll see…_

**Please R&R.**


	9. The Way It Is

**The Way It Is**

**I can read your mind  
And I know your story  
I see what you're going through, yeah**

**It's an uphill climb  
And I'm feeling sorry  
But I know it will come to you, yeah**

**Don't surrender  
Cause you can win  
In this thing called love**

**When you want it the most  
There's no easy way out  
When you're ready to go  
And your heart's left in doubt  
Don't give up on your faith  
Love comes to those who believe it  
And that's the way it is**

**When you question me  
For a simple answer  
I don't know what to say, no**

**But it's plain to see  
If you stick together  
You're gonna find the way, yeah**

**So don't surrender  
Cause you can win  
In this thing called love**

**When you want it the most  
There's no easy way out  
When you're ready to go  
And your heart's left in doubt  
Don't give up on your faith  
Love comes to those who believe it  
And that's the way it is  
That's the way it is**

**When life is empty  
With no tomorrow  
And loneliness starts to call (loneliness starts to call)**

**Baby don't worry  
Forget your sorrow  
Cause love's gonna conquer it all, all**

**When you want it the most  
There's no easy way out  
When you're ready to go  
And your heart's left in doubt  
Don't give up on your faith  
Love comes to those who believe it  
(And that's the way it is  
There's no easy way out  
When you're ready to go  
And your hearts left to doubt)  
Don't give up on your faith  
Love comes to those who believe it  
And that's the way it is  
That's the way it is  
That's the way it is  
Don't give up on your faith  
Love comes to those who believe it  
And that's the way it is**

**-C****é****line Dion, "That's The Way It Is"**

The Smashers, especially Fox and Falcon, watched their steps in the hours following MH's warning. They knew that he was a reasonable yet powerful authority figure, and to disobey him was asking for a death wish. Any ribbing over someone's position on the tier list was toned WAY down, and the two "A" tiers were less likely to brag and act like they owned the place.

All morning long, Falcon and Fox kept apologizing to Luigi for last night. Soon, they graduated to making grand gestures of remorse. The vulpine had all of Luigi's overalls dry-cleaned on his dime, and Falcon surprised him with tickets to his next F-Zero race. In addition, they had all sorts of cookies and chocolates and goodies delivered to his door. Luigi just smiled and told the duo that he appreciated the gestures, but he neither accepted nor rejected their apologies. In his mind, they deserved to sweat and squirm for a little while.

Luigi opted to spend his spare time with Samus, Ness, DK and Link. The five of them lounged around on beanie bags, reading and discussing interesting books in the library that MH had set up for the Smashers. Or, they sat around a Nintendo 64 in the Game Area, playing video games like _Mario Kart 64_ or _Mario Party_. If the video game stations were occupied, then they'd sit at a big table and fuss over a puzzle or two. Or maybe they'd wrack their brains over a word search or a crossword puzzle, or they'd wind up in a five-way game of Go Fish. Anything to get their minds off of the tier list.

Because while Fox and Falcon watched their steps around Master Hand, the spectators didn't. Luigi still faced heckling and ridicule for being ranked the worst fighter in the tournament, and the harassment grew more physical. Food and drinks were tossed his way whenever he was on the battlefield, tomatoes splattering against his face and body, and it would grow worse if he won the match. Audience members would moon him or flip him the bird or hold up degrading signs. And people would push or shove him during post-match Q&A and autograph sessions. Very few people wanted autographs or photo-ops with him—and then he'd look at Mario, being mobbed like a celebrity, and those feelings of envy and frustration would brew inside him, and it would be all he could do not to just—

He wasn't the only one facing the audience's wrath—he just faced the brunt of it. You see, the spectators were cowards—cowards to the core, and they knew what Samus, the formidable bounty huntress, DK, the King of the Jungle and Link, the Hero of Time, were capable of. They even knew that Ness faced off against a powerful being and emerged the victor. If they made a few remarks about their low tier placings, then they usually did so behind their backs or online, despite MH's stern warnings. As the hours passed, the audience considered Luigi easy prey, and as morning became noon, Luigi proved them all wrong. He took all of their b.s. and turned it into energy, energy which he utilized against his opponents. And he'd gaze into the stands and spot Mario, seated in his normal spot, wearing a big smile and shouting encouragement, his voice easily drowning out the jeers, and everything would hurt less.

MH and the Polygons reprimanded and eventually removed the most problematic of the spectators, but they'd simply join the ranks of those hiding online. Luigi ignored the jibes aimed at him on the Smash Blog, but if anyone dared aim a reproachful comment at Samus, Link, DK or Ness, then he'd tell them to back off, or else. It became clear that he was taking most of the haters' hate so that the other "C" tiers wouldn't.

"Why?" Samus demanded of Luigi as they sat in the Gaming Area, playing Scrabble together. "Why are you risking your well-being and possibly your health and sanity for us? We can fight our own battles."

"I know you can," said Luigi, "but I want you all to only fight the battles you need to fight. Seeing people being senselessly harassed gets under my skin."

"You were bullied yourself?" asked Samus.

"When Mario and I were children, the other kids would come after us because of our Italian heritage, and they'd go after me the most. Mario defended me, but he couldn't be everywhere at the same time, and they'd wait till he was preoccupied with something else before pouncing. I'd come home with black eyes, bruises, cuts, scrapes—nothing _too_ serious, mind you. But while the black eyes, bruises, cuts, scrapes and whatnot would heal, the words they said and the psychological toll would stay with me. But do you wanna know another reason why they went after me more than Mario?"

"Why?"

"I wouldn't let them touch a hair on his head," Luigi replied. "I'd always direct their ire toward me if I suspected that they wanted to do ill to him. I was willing to get sent to the Principal's office for my bro. Normally, I try not to start fights, but push me hard enough, and you can be d—n sure I'll finish one. I can rattle off plenty of times when I engaged in physical fights in Mario's defense."

"Whoa," breathed Samus.

"One memorable moment was when we were in fourth grade," Luigi went on. "There was a bully named Mitchell who seemed bent on making us his, uh, rhymes-with-witches. We ignored him, and that made him angry. So—he managed to get a rise out of Mario by hurling an ethnic slur at him. Unluckily for him, I was also within earshot.

"I saw Mario's face darken and his fists clench. If I hadn't interceded, then he would've wound up in detention instead of me." He laughed. "Mitchell didn't see me coming. He was bigger and stronger than me, but even so, I pinned him to the floor, whaling on that ugly mug od his and just yelling at him to leave my bro alone. They had to call in several teachers and hall monitors to pull me off of him. I calmed down rather quickly and explained the situation to the Principal. She was sympathetic, but rules were rules. On top of detention was a lecture and a grounding, courtesy of our parents. To this day, I believe that it was worth it."

"But this isn't the schoolyard," said Samus. "We're adults who know how to handle ourselves. Well—Ness is technically a teenager, but still. Luigi, I appreciate what you're doing. We all do. But we're worried about you and the way you constantly make yourself a target."

Luigi spread his hands. "I don't like bullies," he said simply. "I don't care where they're from."

"Just—don't shut us out, okay?" entreated Samus. "All of yesterday, you've been our guiding light. Now, let us be yours."

"I will," promised Luigi. "I promise you, I will."

**…**

After lunch in the cafeteria, it all started again. Braving the hate and the vitriol as the "C" tiers faced off against various opponents on the battlefield. Falcon and Fox doing what they could to slide back into Luigi's good graces. Luigi helping his fellow "C" tiers decompress. Whenever it got too much, he'd retreat to the Training Area and put on his favorite Eurodance tunes before seeking out a Polygon to spar with. Or, he'd head over to his room and dance to his music, wearing pants, socks and nothing else, an unreadable expression on his face as his body swiveled, shimmied and swished in time with the beat. Then, he'd invite Samus, Link, DK and Ness over for a few rounds of Twister.

It helped—temporarily.

But after the events in the lounge yesterday, Luigi wanted nothing more than to decimate Captain Falcon and Fox McCloud on the battlefield. And he knew that his fellow "C" tiers shared that sentiment…

**…**

Evening had fallen, and the last of the day's matches were over and done. Samus washed her face, jumped into a cool shower and put on a ravishing red dress and red heels. Then, she proceeded to the hair salon, where a Polygon styled her hair into an elegant bun. She glanced at her watch and smiled. Perfect—she'd be right on time. After paying the Polygon, Samus gathered her things into a red clutch and headed over to a fancy restaurant not far from the Smash World.

Captain Falcon was already waiting for her, attired in a charming three-piece suit and bow tie. "Hey, Sam," he greeted when she arrived, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hi, Douglas," said Samus.

"You look beautiful," said Falcon.

Samus blushed.

The racer offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Samus took Falcon's arm, and they walked over to their reserved table. Two glasses and a bottle of sweet wine were already waiting for them.

Falcon popped open the cork and poured the wine, and then a server stopped by with some freshly baked bread and butter.

"Cheers," said Falcon, raising his glass.

"Cheers," said Samus, raising hers.

They toasted, and then they took a sip of wine.

"May I inquire as to the occasion?" asked Samus after they'd taken their salad orders.

"No occasion is necessary to share an intimate meal with a fellow Smasher," Falcon said flirtily.

Samus gave him a look, unconvinced.

Douglas held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, you got me," he said. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush like they do in the movies, so I'm just gonna say it. Samus Aran, I'm in love with you."

A big smile spread across Samus's face. "I've fallen in love with you, too," she said. Her expression turned serious. "But as long as you keep acting so pompous just because of a piece of paper on the bulletin board…"

"That's—another thing, Sam," sighed Falcon. "Yesterday, I made a fool of myself in front of God and everyone—and you."

"I was stunned that you'd do something like that," said Samus, "and to someone as kind as Luigi, to boot."

"I've told him, and now I wanna tell you—I'm really sorry. Sorry for getting drunk, sorry for insulting Luigi and sorry for starting a fight with him—and for doing all of that in front of you."

Falcon laid a hand over Samus. "I don't know what happened when I met you," he went on. "It feels like I've been laying dormant for a long time, and then suddenly, I'm awake." He chuckled. "It's cliché, I know, but it's true."

"After what Ridley did to my parents, I didn't know if I'd ever love again," said Samus. "I donned the Varia Suit and became the cold, ruthless bounty hunter, hoping that I wouldn't get hurt. In private, I mourned my parents, but I never let my feelings show in public. But now—I've met people from other Nintendo franchises, and I'm bringing my walls down and befriending them and enjoying their company—especially yours. My heart is open and exposed for the first time in years. And then the tier list was put up, and not only was Ridley on my back, but also I watched others get snubbed because they were ranked lower. Can you imagine how that made me feel?"

"I—do," said Falcon.

Their salads arrived, and they resumed their conversation as they ate.

"I joined Smash because I needed a reason to finally lower the image I've spent the first few years of my adult life projecting," said Samus, "but your behavior and Fox's behavior only serves to discourage me from doing so. What I'm feeling right now is so—exciting. And I don't wanna lose it."

"I don't wanna lose it, either," said Douglas. "We're not that different. In the world of racing, we're told to be tough and hard. If you show the tiniest bit of emotion…" He spread his hands. "Before we go any further, I want you to know—this is my first _real_ relationship. I've been with women and even a few men in the past, but those relationships were mostly physical. So, I hope you'll forgive me for trying too hard to put on the charm."

"Well," said Samus, "I've had purely physical flings with a couple of women before I met you, so I guess we're square."

The couple chuckled. Then, they looked over their menus before deciding on a main course.

Presently, the restaurant's musicians played a slow variation of the Zebes stage theme.

"Thank you for doing this, Douglas," Samus said once their food was on the table.

"You're welcome," said Falcon.

"I think you're a genial, if flamboyant, guy," Samus went on, "and I enjoy spending time with you. I don't wanna lose that just because some list is stroking your ego."

"Hey," Falcon said solemnly. "I won't let that list get to my head again. You have my word."

Samus beamed.

"So, what do you say?" asked Douglas. "Wanna start things fresh?"

"Sure," said Samus, "but let's take things slowly. We have all the time in the world."

"Hear, hear," said Douglas, and they toasted a second time.

After their main courses was decadent fudge cake and vanilla bean ice cream for dessert, which Falcon and Samus enjoyed while trading jokes and fun anecdotes. After Douglas paid the bill, the musicians took a bow and departed for the evening, and the racer and the bounty huntress joined several other couples in slow-dancing to some oldies.

"We should totally do this again sometime," Samus said quietly, her head pillowed on Falcon's broad chest.

"Agreed," Falcon said, a [bleep]-eating grin splitting his face.

**The things that I see  
As I walk along the streets  
That's heaven to me**

**A little flower that blooms in May  
A lovely sunset at the end of a day  
Someone helping a stranger along the way  
(That's heaven to me)  
That's heaven to me**

**The feeling I have when I hear a touching prayer  
It makes me know, the Lord is somewhere  
Even the birds flying around in the air  
(That's heaven to me)  
That's heaven to me, no**

**It doesn't have to be a miracle  
In order for me to see, I know  
The goodness of my, my Savior  
Is everywhere to me, woah, woah, woah**

**Even the children playing in the street  
Sing a friendly hello to everyone that they meet  
Even the leaves blowing out, blowing out  
Blowing out, blowing out on the tree  
(That's heaven to me)  
That's heaven to me, woah, woah**

**Woah woah, woah woah, woah Lord**

**-Sam Cooke, "That's Heaven To Me"**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	10. A-B-C(S)

**A-B-C(S)**

**A (**_**noun**_**): the 1****st**** letter of the English alphabet; a grade rating a student's work as superior in quality**

**-**_**Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary**_**, 11****th**** ed (2014)**

_**Pikachu**_

Since MH put up the tier list, the temperature in the Smash Mansion has dropped twenty degrees. Promising friendships were killed before they could even sprout, and those once cordial with their fellow Smashers now thumb their noses at those ranked lower than them. What's the big deal, anyway? It's not like that piece of paper gives us special powers. We're still flesh and blood; punch us, and we bleed. There's no rule saying that we can no longer get along just because some nutjob decided to rank us on our fight ability and publish it for the world to see.

_I'm_ certainly not parading around. Yes, it's good to be considered the best, but I know that I'll remain the best as long as I keep practicing. At the end of the day, I'm just an Electric-type Mouse Pokémon with red cheeks who can only say "Pika" or "Pika pi" or my own name. I'm no different from any other Electric-types I've encountered in stadiums and gyms. I have a lot of strengths, but I still have weaknesses, and I need to weigh both when facing down an opponent in Smash.

So, yes, I'm top-tier, but I don't act like I'm living in a mansion in Beverly Hills. Neither does my fellow top-tier, Kirby. We keep our celebrations low-key. For instance, we share sundaes and banana splits at the ice-cream parlor. We got on movie dates. And we don't look down on the other Smashers. I just wish a _few_ _other_ Smashers (I'm not naming names) can follow our example.

Since MH's stern warning, the drama hasn't gone away—it's just died down. And it's just waiting to flare up again…

**…**

_**Kirby**_

Nowadays, I look around me, and I'm saddened by what I see. People who used to eat lunch together can barely look each other in the eye. Two Smashers regard several others as the dirt beneath their shoes. I see tension and hostility and mistrust—barely anyone has fun anymore. I thought Smash was supposed to be a casual get-together, not a fight for our lives. But nowadays, we're all acting like we've got something to prove, and I hate it!

I've done what I could to bring the Smashers together again. One time, I fixed everyone ice-cream sundaes. It seemed to work—until Fox and Falcon barged in. They're unreachable; they've locked themselves in their own utopia. I still had hope—until the episode in the lounge. Luigi—formidable yet golden-hearted Luigi—was singled out and called an ugly name, just because he was at the bottom of the tier list. I shouldn't have been shocked when he decided to let his fists do the talking; torment had been heaped upon him all day.

I mean—did they _really_ expect someone as young and naïve as me to understand this tier business? This is the first tournament I've ever competed in. When I fought fearsome monsters sent by Nightmare Enterprises, nobody was keeping score. I was keeping Dreamland safe, and that was all they cared about. Not once did I hear anyone, even DDD and Meta, say something like, "So-and-so can defeat monsters better than Kirby!" What kind of person would say that after I saved their bacon?

This tier list business makes no sense to me. We didn't ask for a tier list, we didn't want a tier list and we didn't need a tier list. It's done nothing but sour relationships and cause needless stress. The Smash Mansion has turned into a high school from any given movie or TV drama, with snobby cliques and self-righteous jocks spewing their narcissism at those just trying to get through the day. MH plays the role of the principal, trying to restore order and harmony, but I don't know if his methods will have any effect. The only solution I can think of is rather simple—attack the root of the problem and get rid of that tier list.

Pikachu and I are rather mature for our ages, refusing to jump on this bandwagon and instead sending out as much love as we can. But Falcon and Fox's antics are making the lower-tier fighters wary of us. Their guards are up every time we pass them by to say hello. I think they know that we mean well, but Falcon and Fox have wounded them to the point they react like any other person who's been hurt—by donning armor so they wouldn't be wounded further.

And it's not just those two—the majority of the spectators have been infected. They whisper in dark corners when their targets aren't looking. They mock and deride on the Smash Blog. The only fighter they've shown open malevolence toward is Luigi—pelting him with food and drinks and getting handsy with him. He's able to put on a brave face and power through it all, but he's a ticking time bomb. Even heroes like Luigi have a threshold.

If there's anything I want in this world more than cake, then it's for that tier list to just disappear. Then all of the Smashers will be friends again!

**…**

_**Captain Falcon**_

People say that I'm taking my high ranking too seriously. But I just can't help it. When I stood in the crowd that morning and saw that I was the third-best fighter in the tournament, I felt—accomplishment. You see, I hail from a rather obscure franchise, and I've only had two games under my belt, _F-Zero_ and _F-Zero GX_. The adventures of Zelda and Link, the Mario Brothers and even Kirby have been adapted into syndicated animated series, and all they gave me was a feature-length anime. I doubted that a lot of mainstream gamers knew me. But when I saw my picture on the number 3 slot on that list, it helped soothe those doubts. I honestly didn't expect to be ranked so high. But I'm glad I was.

I was on cloud nine, and I wanted to celebrate, and so did Fox. We spent all afternoon getting hammered. We felt like real men. Activities like playing Twister and eating ice cream seemed immature to us now. For that moment in time, we were two representatives of less-popular franchises, itching to show the public what we could do.

But—I'll admit that I went a bit overboard when I burst into the lounge with Fox at my elbow. I can honestly say that I was asking for trouble when I zeroed in on the fighter at the bottom—Luigi—who was already riled up. But I was completely sloshed, all right? If I had been sober, then maybe I would've taken a second to think. But alas, I felt invincible and decided to call him out because he was in last place. So I called him a name—and then I thought I could take him _mano a mano_.

Guess I couldn't.

I woke up the next morning with a massive hangover and my conscience reading me the riot act. My first action was to apologize to Luigi. He listened, but I don't think he'll forgive me anytime soon. _I_ wouldn't forgive me.

And Samus.

The two of us struck up a friendship the second we entered the Smash Mansion, and that friendship matured into something more. We had a lot in common, mainly our pasts as bounty hunters, and we just sat and talked, sharing our life stories with each other. But she was there when the list was tacked onto the bulletin board, and she was there when I challenged Luigi to a fight. Only God knows what she thinks of me now. Yes, we managed to clear the air a little bit over a romantic dinner, but I don't know what the future holds for us.

Still—can you blame me for being so bombastic? What would you do if you were in my shoes? If you suddenly became popular, then wouldn't it give your self-esteem a boost? Wouldn't you want to get wild and share your newfound status with the world? Honestly, I think these uptight moral guardians are overreacting. They all need to take a chill pill and live a little.

So—Luigi's giving me the silent treatment right now. Let him. Why should I let that bother me when my FALCON PAWNCH has elevated me to almost godlike status? Lots of people want photo ops with me and want me to sign various scraps of paper. I've received several invites to this social function and that gala. Some nightclubs even give me the VIP treatment. It just—feels good. And if Luigi finds that offensive, then that's his problem.

Between you and me, I think he's just jealous because his brother gets all of the fame.

While Luigi is acting like his ranking is a personal slight and feeling sorry for himself, I'm counting my blessings. I've gained a cult following, a partner-in-crime and the love of a beautiful woman. There are so many things to look forward to in the wonderful world of Smash, and I can easily move past that night, whether or not Luigi forgives me.

YES!

**…**

_**Fox McCloud**_

Fourth on the tier list wasn't as high as I expected, being the leader of Star Fox and all, but it was okay. On the battlefield, I was swift and attacked fiercely, but I had flaws, just like any other hero. Normally, I fight more in my Arwing and with my Blaster than I fight hand-to-hand, so I'm learning as I go.

I gave my teammates a buzz and told them the news. Peppy told me that he was proud of me, and that I should keep up the good work. He's become a bit of a father to me after Andross killed my dad. Slippy fretted over whether or not my Blaster and Reflector needed some tweaking, and I had to reassure him that those gadgets worked just fine. And Falco—he was snarky as usual. But I wouldn't have it any other way. We're brothers-in-arms, and he always comes through for me whenever I'm in a jam. Which is why I was stunned he passed up the opportunity to become a Smasher.

The _Star Fox_ franchise isn't as well-known as the _Super Mario_, _Pokémon_ and _The Legend of Zelda_ franchises, and neither is _F-Zero_. That's what enabled me to bond with my fellow A-tier, Captain Falcon. Seeing us ranked so high was vindication in our eyes. And in the hours that followed, we partied like a couple of A-list celebrities. What others thought didn't matter to us. Unfortunately, that mentality drove us to antagonize someone who didn't deserve to be antagonized.

Whenever we could, we took verbal jabs at Luigi and ripped on him for being last place. Things had changed, and we couldn't afford to be around him anymore. Our actions, combined with those of the spectators, must've driven him to accept Falcon's drunken challenge. I would've helped, but Mario grabbed me before I could join the fray. Seeing Luigi beat the stuffing out of his opponent eventually discouraged me from engaging him. Maybe I would've had a better chance against him if I was sober.

I spent all of the following day kicking myself for what I did. Along with Falcon, I reached out to Luigi, asking for forgiveness. He told us he'd think about it, but he said "no" with his eyes. I hurt him, and I hurt the very Smashers I'd played Twister with just hours before we even knew about the tier list.

But honestly, can you judge me for what I did? Surely, you understand how I feel. How would _you_ have reacted if you were in my position? I'm playing with the big leagues, tangling with the best of the best after years of leading a team of mercenaries. That means something to me, and it would surely mean something to you, as well, right? _Right_?

So, if I come across as snobbish, then I hope you'll forgive me. Because I really can't help myself.

**…**

_**Yoshi**_

I'm worried about my mama. This tier list business has put him so on edge, and with good reason. The masses are subjecting him to the very things he's hoped to escape from, and he thinks that this is some sort of tricked-out conspiracy to keep him in his brother's shadow. I don't think it's a conspiracy, but I wanna know what the people who made that list were thinking. Maybe they weren't thinking at all.

Fox and Falcon have tried to pressure me into joining their "fabulous me" party, and so far, I've stood firm against them. I can't do that to my mama! They can't make me! When I hatched from that egg, he loved me and protected me like a good mama! Okay, so we're seven tier slots apart. So what? He's still my mama, and Fox and Falcon won't ever change that!

What I witnessed in the lounge was the first time I'd ever seen my mama angry. Not angry as in "yell at people and throw things", but angry as in "not losing your temper at all while still letting the perpetrator know they've touched a nerve". I could pinpoint the exact moment when a switch flipped inside him—when Falcon called him a n—b. I don't know what a n—b is, but judging by Falcon's tone of voice and the way my mama reacted, I knew that it was a very bad thing to call someone. It was bad enough to warrant settling things with violence, something which was highly discouraged in this day and age. The energy was high, and everyone ate it up, and I guess it swept me up, too—especially when my mama shouted like that. I can still see the look in his eyes as he and Falcon went at it.

But my mama is still upset by the incident, and I wanna make him feel better. I want the tier list to go away. I want Falcon to be his friendly, if eccentric, self again. I want Fox to be the level-headed team leader I've read about. Master Hand is aware of what's going on, and I hope his lecture in the Assembly Hall scared everyone straight. I have faith in him. I know he'll take control of the situation before it gets out of hand.

Pikachu and Kirby are at the very top of the tier list, and yet they're still courteous with the other fighters. So what's Fox and Falcon's excuse?

**…**

**B **_**(noun)**_**: the 2****nd**** letter of the English alphabet; a grade rating a student's work as good but short of excellent**

**-**_**Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary**_**, 11****th**** ed (2014)**

_**Jigglypuff**_

I guess you've heard by now. I'm dead center on the tier list—smack in the middle—equidistant between two points. Not very high, but not very low, either. I tend to have a "glass half-full" look on things, and this isn't any different.

But as MH said, some people are taking the tier list the wrong way. They're using it as an excuse to impose upon others. They're thinking, "Oh, you're lower than me, so I can't be around you anymore." And it's made life as a Smasher less bearable—especially for the C-tiers.

Who would've thought that the tier list would gauge such a reaction? Who would've thought that some of us would be so quick to treat is as some social scale? And why? What's the point? To make the higher tiers feel better about themselves, or to make the lower tiers feel worse?

I'm cool about it. B-tier isn't anything to sneeze at, really. But I don't think about it. I do my usual thing. I Sing my opponents into submission before using Rest. It's super effective! But I try not to use Rollout. It's a very risky move—I've self-destructed more than once. What I'm saying is—the tier list hasn't changed my performance in Smash. And it hasn't changed how my fans or my fellow Pokémon view me.

Pikachu is at the very top, and yet he remains cordial with me, as does Kirby. They're not like Fox and Falcon, who have started acting like Richie Rich. Sometimes, I wish that Pikachu and Kirby would get nasty and snobbish just once and give those two A-tiers a taste of their own medicine. But c'mon—can you see the Pokémon mascot and the Hero of Dreamland acting like that? _I_ certainly can't.

Luigi's taking most of the heat from Falcon, Fox and the mean-spirited spectators. Samus and Falcon are a bit of an item, and Fox respects her as a fellow Space Warrior. The two of them acknowledge DK's strength, Ness's PSI skills and Link's reputation. And the hecklers wouldn't dare reproach those four to their faces—which leaves the resident butt-monkey, Luigi. But even as he's taking it and taking it, he stands up for his fellow "C" tiers and eviscerates the haters on our blog. He fights and he fights and he fights—on the battlefield and off—and he fights till he can fight no more. Then, he gets back up and fights again.

It's great what he does, I can't lie about that. But he needs to set aside some time for himself. With him looking out for so many people, who's gonna look out for him—besides Mario? The heckling and the taunting and the hate and the cruelty are surely battering him on all sides, and yet he takes the hurt and stuffs it deep inside him where he can't think about it. But he can't hold it in forever, and he needs to give himself some time to feel so he can sleep at night. Whoever said that men weren't supposed to cry was soft in the head.

Which reminds me—I've kept a stash of black Sharpie markers handy. I like to use them to draw on the faces of those I Sing to sleep, but MH won't let me do it on the battlefield. Perhaps I'll give one of my Sharpies to Luigi one day. I have a feeling that a Sharpie is just what Luigi needs in this trying time. There are so many ways a person can vent with a black marker…

**…**

_**Mario**_

When I saw my own ranking on that list, was I a little upset? Yeah. But I didn't take it out on innocent people. I saw the silver lining in being ranked 7th and moved on. 7 is a lucky number, if you recall. Maybe it's for the best, teaching me a lesson in humility.

I was more upset about Luigi's ranking than my own, and I tried to prepare him for another disappointment. However, I was nervous about telling him outright, which is why I simply told him that he was ranked low on the tier list. In retrospect, maybe I should've come out and said it. I'll never forget his cry of "Are you f—ing kidding me?! Last place?!" as long as I live.

My baby bro just can't catch a break, can he? First, he's barely recognized in the MK, and now this. It's open season for him because he's dead last on the tier list. And such treatment is the last thing he needs right now.

I'm so angry. I want to march over there and teach those haters a lesson. I want to thrash them like I thrash Koopa every Tuesday and Friday. Most of all, I want to hold Luigi in my arms and make everything all right. But as he keeps telling me, he's not a little boy anymore. He can kick [bleep] and take names with the best of them.

Still, he needs his brother. And I intend to support him no matter what the cost.

In the lounge, when Falcon and Fox burst in, and the former called my bro that name, my first impulse was to give them the bum's rush. But then I saw my bro's eyes flash. I had to choose between him and getting rough with those two b—ds, and I chose Luigi. To calm him down before he did something he'd regret. But then he looked at me, and I saw that he was beyond reasoning. That racer deserved a beatdown for what he said, anyway.

That night, I heard him crying softly in his room, and my instincts won out. I fixed his favorite pasta dish, and Samus, DK, Ness, and Link helped me. The food worked like a charm, and he let down his walls around us. We ended up falling asleep together. I think we should have sleepovers more often.

Nowadays, the two "A" tiers are so apologetic, but I think that's a load of b.s. They're just sorry they got caught. As soon as MH turns his back, it'll start up again. Just you wait and see.

**…**

**C **_**(noun**_**): the 3****rd**** letter of the English alphabet; a grade rating a student's work as fair or mediocre in quality**

**-**_**Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, **_**11****th**** ed (2014)**

_**Samus Aran**_

When word got out that I was placed in the lowest tier, Ridley had a ball. I tuned him out, just as I tuned out the other hecklers, but it chafed on me after a while. Sweating it out in the gym and the Training Area helped, but so did talking over it with Luigi. I still can't believe he's comforting me instead of the other way around.

Confronting him about it really provided some insight into his thoughts and actions. The poor fellow had been bullied most of his life, but it didn't turn him into a sociopath like in the movies or on TV. That's always the go-to excuse for such behavior, isn't it? But that's missing the point. What I'm saying is that Luigi stood his ground against the bullying and turned it around, so that it built him into a strong-willed and capable young man, rather than let it destroy him inside. You'd need a pretty thick skin to endure what he's endured.

You should see him on the battlefield, bleeding and sweating and taking down opponents to spite his hecklers. When projectiles come his way, he barely reacts. He just steamrolls into the Training Area and engages the nearest available Polygon. Most afternoons, I walk by his room and hear his music, muffled, and I know that he's turned to dancing to let that aggression loose.

I have hope in the thick of this, because Luigi is so d—n strong. But it still gets under my skin because I've allowed myself to feel an emotion I've sworn off when I was a girl—love.

I love Douglas Jay Falcon. He loves me. And yet his high ranking has caused him to act like a jerk.

The day the tier list was released, he promised me that it wouldn't interfere with our relationship. But I see him acting so prideful alongside Fox, looking at one of my new friends down the length of his nose, and it's a huge turn-off for me. His actions in the lounge had me ready to burst. But the very next night, he treated me to dinner, and he won me back over with a beautiful apology—of sorts.

It feels so good to be with him, so I wanna give him another shot. I wanna believe that he's learned his lesson. But I just have this feeling, you know? The feeling that the worst is yet to come. They say that sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. But how worse can things get between me and Falcon? Do I really want to know?

Ridley trolling me about being a "C" tier is the least of my problems. I have a relationship to fight for, and I intend to catch Luigi should he fall. Or maybe he's already clawing his way back up, and he'll catch _me_ on my way down.

Only time will tell.

**…**

_**Donkey Kong**_

Yeah, I was in the dumps when I found out that I was in 9th place, but some bananas dispelled that feeling. I also talked to my nephew, Diddy Kong, and he assured me that I was still his Super Uncle. Okay!

I waited for K. Rool to get on my case about it, but he didn't. My best bet is that he's too busy formulating evil plots to even think about the tier list. He's always trying to steal my bananas and take over DK Isle. It always ends with me uppercutting him into the sky, but it doesn't stop him from trying.

And I thought being in the circus was bad.

Getting back to the subject, I really don't mind being ranked 9th. Not when I have my bananas. Not when I have my coconut cream pies. Not after I saw Luigi thrash Captain Falcon and take him down a peg.

What can I say about Luigi? He's got style, he's got grace and he's got an angular face. Everyone's acting like total dongs over a piece of paper, and Luigi's not having any of it. I read over his blog posts and imagine myself showing them to K. Rool. That pesky croc would take one look at them before hightailing it out of there with his tail between his legs. I really wish he was invited to this tournament, so I can watch Luigi lay an epic smackdown on the Kremling King. But what's the old saying? Good things come to those who wait.

Speaking of which, I'm waiting for the day when Falcon faces the so-called "last-place loser" on the battlefield. We'll see what he thinks of Luigi then.

And the same thing goes for Fox, too.

**…**

_**Ness**_

They have me smack in the middle of the "C" tier. Not bad—not great—but _okay_.

The wolves came for me, but then I showed them what I could do with a yo-yo and a bat, and then they skulked off in search of easier prey.

Even so, the situation has me so frustrated and discouraged. The first thing society does is laugh at and look down upon the have-nots. What's up with that? And what's up with treating the tier list like some sort of class system?

We all used to play board games like Chutes and Ladders and Twister together. Nowadays, we can barely sit at the same table. Two of the Smashers don't even want to breathe the same air as me. But then, I look at Luigi, and it makes things—_okay_.

After what he served up to Falcon in the lounge, I've gained even more respect for the man in green. He's not afraid to roll up his sleeves, get dirty and break a few rules to stand up for himself and for others. He's loyal, compassionate, protective and fierce. And to think he's derided as a klutz and a scaredy-cat.

It's always the quiet and reserved ones you need to watch out for the most.

Luigi goes out of the way to make Samus, DK, Link and I feel comfortable and comforted. We set aside as much spare time as possible. From pouring over crosswords and books to playing basketball outside, we can relax and be ourselves with him. Thanks to him, we can gird ourselves for the day ahead.

I may not be in the best situation right now, but at the very least, I'm—okay.

**…**

_**Link**_

It's true that I nearly went bat-[bleep] when I saw that I was 11th on the tier list. But in the following days, I've realized that they didn't put me there to be malicious. I fight mostly with the Master Sword, but I also have boomerangs and bombs—projectiles with quite limited range. Plus, my Spin Attack seems to be the only viable recovery option. Would bringing my bow and arrow into the tournament have made any difference?

What does it matter? Compared to the stuff I've dealt with in Hyrule, the tier list is nothing. I've got to keep a constant eye on Dorf, in case he decides to make off with Zel. The Gerudo King is bigger than me—in every sense of the word—and I've foiled all of his plans to steal the Triforce and take over Hyrule to date. That should give those rabid tier maniacs something to chew on.

I joined Smash to make friends, and I know everyone else did, too. But the tiers are turning this endeavor into something unrecognizable. Do the powers-that-be want us to genuinely hate each other in order to make the tournament matches "more authentic"? Do they want us to have legitimate reasons to beat the Cucco out of each other to satisfy a paying audience's bloodlust? What kind of marketing strategy is that? I thought Smash Bros was primarily aimed at school-aged children. Imagine the negative messages the tier list must be sending to them.

And don't get me started on Captain Falcon and Fox McCloud. The latter is supposed to be a leader and a role model. He's an intergalactic hero—and here he is, acting like a spoiled prince. What example is he setting for our kids? And Falcon—he's a racecar driver with a generous amount of fans to his name. What would those fans think if they found out that he got drunk, called a kind and gentle plumber a horrible name and then challenged said plumber to a brawl? And all the while, he's wooing Samus—a "C" tier fighter, no less! She deserves better than him, but you didn't hear that from me.

Thank God for our dial-up connection. That way, I can trade emails and blog posts with Zelda. I wish MH had let her in, so she could give everyone a good talking-to. If anyone needs a dressing-down from Hyrule's wise Princess, then it's Falcon and Fox.

For the time being, there's an uneasy peace in the Smash Mansion. MH has properly chastened the two "A"-tiers and brought their egos back to Earth—at least, I hope so. But something tells me that one little push will be all it takes to shatter this delicate truce.

And if we're not putting up with those two, then we're putting up with bloggers and spectators. You should see the manner of shameless nonsense the former group posts online—our blog contains so many flags that one can make several new continents out of it! And get this—what they direct at me is tame compared to what they direct at Luigi.

Does Luigi have the tolerance of a god or what? Even before the episode in the lounge, people were piling on him. First for being the second player, and that was long before he met me. Then, it was because he was shy and not as brave as Mario, also before he met me. And now the cherry on top—he's in the crosshairs for being the lowest-ranked fighter. Oh, and he's still picked on for the previous two reasons. Yet he shows no signs of cracking.

Anyone else would've gone insane.

Maybe he's given himself reasons not to go insane—which is why he spent that fateful day fighting for us. It's good to find ways to keep your sanity, but I'm still surprised. In a hero's shadow, labeled as a scaredy-cat and castigated for being last on this tier list, and Luigi remains an optimist. If anything, this garbage has driven him to work harder than ever.

Okay, so he lost it a little bit when Falcon called him a n—b and a loser, but hey, it could've been worse.

However—

Super Smash Bros was labeled as a party game, but it's slowly turning into—I don't know what to call this anymore. Friendships are now discouraged rather than encouraged. I hang around with Luigi, Samus, Ness and DK more than with the other Smashers. An insane amount of pressure is put upon us to win our matches, albeit for different reasons depending on how high or low a particular fighter is ranked. I look at Luigi and see him struggling to hold it all together, and then I see Falcon and Fox trading looks. There's the audience, waiting for one of us to show the tiniest flaw.

And I wonder—where is the Smash tournament I used to know?

**…**

_**Luigi**_

That stupid list remains tacked on the bulletin board, coldly and silently judging us. Judging me. I just can't get away from it, can I? Is there a monetary or pathological need for Nintendo to keep me in second place? Or is it all just "fun" to them?

What hurts more than that, though, was how quickly Falcon and Fox jumped on the bandwagon, abandoning the promise of a sustaining friendship without a second thought. The moment they saw that I was on the bottom, I was nothing to them. I thought that the bond he forged with me, Ness and Jiggs meant something to him, but obviously, I was wrong.

I miss the Formidable Four. I miss the games of Twister. I miss the first days of Smash, the days holding so many promises. I miss the welcoming atmosphere and the excitement of something new. Where did it all go wrong?

The spectators crowd the arena, smelling blood and waiting to pounce on me. They want me to make a fool of myself, to curl up on the ground and give up. Well, I'm sorry for disappointing them, because that's not gonna happen. They boo and hiss and jeer and throw things, but I still won't give them what they want. How ironic—their efforts to cut me down only make me more determined to push back.

And I push back in any way I can. When hecklers give me a hard time, I ignore them. I take the wounds from their words and actions and hide it away. I bury it so deep that will never touch me, at least until the sun sets and the stars come out. I deny them the satisfaction of knowing that they successfully touched a nerve. I respond to their reproach by giving it my all in my bouts. I write on the Smash Blog and engage in some physical activity to quell the anger inside me. And—I socialize with Link, Ness, DK and Samus.

Why do I fight so fiercely for them? The answer is simple—I don't want them to experience what I've experienced—the hurt, the humiliation. I don't want that piece of paper to sour their quality of life. I'm used to that kind of stuff, but I don't think they are. So I absorb that b.s. and turn it into strength, putting aside my own hurt for their sake. And soon, it pays off. They've started defending me against the outlandishness directed at me on the Smash Blog. When I'm ready to burst apart at the seams, they provide me with a sounding board. They organize get-togethers in the ice-cream parlor, the library or the gaming area. And they always tell me that I don't have to fight this battle by myself.

Then, there's my bro. Although he didn't directly tell me about my ranking, he tried to gently break the news to me. And in the aftermath, he's cheered me on during my matches, sitting where he'd always be visible, shouting the loudest. Fixing me my favorite dish while I was smarting from Captain Falcon's stunt was pretty sweet, too. Don't get me wrong—I appreciate what he's doing. But I fought a hulking reptile alongside him; I've been doing so for nearly 14 years. I'm not someone's kid brother.

My quiet shyness doesn't mean that I'm spineless, and the good Captain found that out the painful way. He's cozied up to me ever since, but I'm not ready to let him back in. If I don't forgive him and continue holding that grudge, then I'll be unable to move on with my life. But if I forgive him too swiftly, then it'll give him the wrong idea—that no matter what he does, I'll always smile and pretend it didn't happen after some sappy comments and puppy-dog eyes. I'm by far the nicest and most forgiving person in the MK, and there are some who tend to take advantage of that.

So—I fight and bruise and bleed and win as many matches as I can, and the haters still take cracks at me because some competitive twits have made up their minds about me. Geez, how many victories will it take for them to get the hint? And as I fight—I take everything dealt at me and turn it into a seed, a seed which I plant somewhere deep inside and nurture with positive thoughts. I stand tall through the heckling and harassment and tend to the little seed inside of me, hoping that someday, it will bloom.

If Fox and Falcon and the apathetic audience members can only see beyond that list, then they'll discover how I love to play sports and dance. I'll be happy to tell him how I enjoy helping Mario on his latest adventures and how I look up to him. I'll be willing to talk about my life in Brooklyn and how it all changed when Mario and I slid down that pipe. I can share so much with them if they weren't so invested in a piece of paper.

Well, forget what they think, and forget the tier list. Frankly, they can all think what they want about me. Their thoughts will just bounce off of me and stick to them, giving off a pestilence which will hopefully allow others to see them for the monstrous people they are. I'm going to fight my best in this tournament, and I'm going to get my fellow "C"-tiers through this. Falcon, Fox and the hateful spectators and bloggers can just _try_ and stop me.

They won't break my stride. And they won't slow me down.

**Please R&R.**


	11. One Day at a Time

**One Day at a Time**

**Pecking order (n): a hierarchy of status seen among members of a group of people or animals, originally as observed among hens**

**-from Google Search**

**Luigi's POV**

_**June 16**_

** It's been exactly 17 days after the emergency meeting, and things seem back to their normal state. I haven't been picked on by the "A" tiers once. Isn't that wonderful? Not even once! Douglas still has some leftover aches, which I can't complain about, and he and Fox are being super nice to me. They shower me with compliments and gifts. I know what they're up to, and it's going to take a lot more than comic books, model Arwings, F-Zero yearbooks, goodies, invites to parties and the like to make up for their little act that night. Their chests are still a bit swollen with pride, but they're the Falcon and Fox I used to know, the same ones at that game of Twister. Ness, Jiggs and I are somewhat back on speaking terms with the good Captain, who's also managed to soften Samus back up. As for Fox, he's hanging around with Kirby and Pikachu and worming his way back into the good graces of the C-tiers. Man, you should've seen me at my matches today! I can't believe I was still steaming that much, more than two weeks later! But then again, words can hurt as hard as physical blows, and no matter how many apologies are issued, you can never forget the pain. But I'm confident we'll work things out.**

**…**

_**June 17**_

** I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. One loss was all it took for it all to start back up again in earnest. And it wasn't even that big of a loss, either! Unfortunately, my opponent just so happened to be among the upper tiers, opening the floodgates to the scorn and jeering all over our Smash blog. I could hear Douglas and Fox laughing their behinds off in the stands, and I also glimpsed some sort of recording device. So much for their remorse! I wanted to confront them, but I figured it would make things worse, so I just ignored them and played one-on-one hoops with Ness.**

** After our game, he told me that he's also run into some trouble from a quartet of older teens. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to knock some sense into them with his baseball bat and PSI. However, violence would only serve to exacerbate the situation, so I told him that he shouldn't give his antagonists the time of day. The tension left Ness's body, and he thanked me profusely for everything I've done since the tier list arrived. Then, the two of us hugged before continuing with our day.**

** Pikachu and Kirby spend all of their free time together. I think something is going on between them. They say they're just friends, but I can smell romance like the scent from a rose. When they're not gobbling up ice-cream and other sweets, then they're going on Warp Star rides and organizing activities to try and get all twelve of us together. How sweet! Sam, DK, Ness, Link and I prefer to lounge around with them. They dispense the coolest advice—once you decipher the flurries of "pika"-ing and "poyo"-ing. I really like it when Mario and Yoshi join us; it's our perfect retreat from that egotistical duo.**

** Online, I enjoy chatting with Isai and Sir Meta Knight. Meta has explained that he was interested in participating, but he wanted to step back and see how well his student was doing on his own. He's happy but also humbled over Kirby being ranked second and offers me tips on meditation when the stress from this nonsense gets too much. Isai is the firecracker of the duo. Whenever he sees a trashy post about me, he doesn't take kindly to it. He offers to tear the offenders to pieces, and I always talk him down. I can deal with these people; I've dealt with them for most of my life.**

** My next match is coming; I have to go!**

**…**

_**June 18**_

** Earlier today, I was in the bathroom, tending to my business, when I felt this trickling on my right pant leg. So, I looked, and—oh, **_**Dio**_**, I'm seeing red just remembering it. The yellowish stream aiming at me, soaking my leg. The familiar laughter as I hightailed it out of there to change clothes. Pulling off my overalls to discover that it wasn't what I thought it was—it was lemonade. Lemonade! Okay, so first, the name calling, second, the apologies, and now pranks? What makes them think pranking me is better than calling me a loser and—that other name? I want to tell Master Hand about it, but as the old saying goes, no one likes a tattletale.**

** I'm not the only one, either! Ness's socks, underwear, yo-yo and bat are mysteriously misplaced, his pants are pulled down when nobody's looking, and he's subject to copious bathroom and shower pranks. They even took one of his Mr. Saturns! But Ness is no wimp. He's very good with a baseball bat and a yo-yo, if you know what I mean. In his second-to-last match for the day, he persuaded the Mr. Saturn thief to relinquish his loot. And I persuaded some of the pranksters to apologize to him.**

** Nobody dares try any of that mess on Sam or DK. I think Douglas tried something on Link once and wound up facing the Master Sword. As with all bullies, they go after those they see as "weak", like a shy plumber and a thirteen-year-old boy. But if you mess with one C tier, then you mess with all of them. Remember that.**

**…**

_**June 19**_

** Wow, I can't believe another week has gone by. And there has been some change—for the worse! The bathroom and shower pranks are more frequent now. I have chocolate stains, mud splatters and lemonade all over my clothes by the end of the day. There are bloggers laughing about how useless I am. The spectators overlook my wins and make fun of me for being a clone. Isai and Meta still support me, and I always decompress by penning strident blog posts which will probably be treated as jokes anyway, but no matter. Master Hand's warning have been ignored, as I'm constantly heckled. There's been a lot of citation-issuing lately. Apologies are muttered with sullen faces, without meaning. They treat it like a "get out of jail free" card. One word, and **_**poof**_**! Everything's better. But due to the severity of their words and actions, I'm not going to let them off so easily.**

** Ness is following my advice, but those four teens have just persisted. I found him in the Training Room, taking on five Polygons at once. After he'd cooled off some, he told me everything and asked if he could pound them just a little with his baseball bat. I responded to his question with another question—does he have any other favorite physical activities? He seemed to understand what I was saying and decided to go for a run outside. I accompanied him, and we were soon joined by Sam and Link.**

** At least Falcon has the decency to act like a gentleman around Samus, but she told me that there's trouble ahead in paradise. She's witnessed him pulling pranks on me (and Ness) alongside Fox and has tried to talk to him about it, but he dodges the issue and uses his charm to distract her. I don't mean to pry, but I think she should break it off with him. A man like that will bring her nothing but heartache.**

**…**

_**June 26**_

**Two weeks, and no change. Why is there no change? Why is nobody listening to Master Hand? He has authority, doesn't he? I keep telling him that these ignorant fools aren't listening to them, but he's wary over using harsh methods because he doesn't want to come off as a cruel, heartless dictator, rather than a benevolent leader. I kind of understand what he's getting at, but he still should let them know that he's not joking on the matter.**

** Sam is still doing what she can to make her relationship with Falcon work, and surprisingly, Falcon is doing the same. Not that it helps—he and Fox still keep up their juvenile pranks. Today, they tied my shoelaces together and cracked up as I toppled flat on my face. Seriously? A professional racer and the leader of Star Fox, tying someone's shoelaces together?! Instead of freaking out, I just slid off my boots, got up and walked away with my head held high. From now on, I'm gonna wear boots that I can simply slide on and off.**

** Later, DK took me aside and told me that he might have to take an emergency leave. Kremling scouts had been spotted in DK Isle, and he wanted to keep his family—and his bananas—safe in case the worst should happen. I told him that if he wanted to head to DK Isle, then he should go, after obtaining permission from MH, of course. A contemplative look crossed his face, and I reassured him that Sam, Ness, Link and I would be fine. We wouldn't let those two get to us.**

** Speaking of Ness, his four antagonists have graduated from verbal to physical harassment. They're smart enough to avoid leaving visible marks, but everything else is fair game. He was steaming as he recounted what happened, and I advised him to alert MH. Then, he said that they told him they could see everything he was doing, and if he ever told anyone, then he'd face a fate worse than death. I winced at the memories of my own childhood bullies saying something similar to me, and then I pushed them aside, assuring him that they were bluffing. He could report those four anonymously, and they won't even know what hit them when they receive their just desserts. In the meantime, I told him that if they put their hands on him again, then he had every right to defend himself—but he shouldn't go overboard.**

** As for Link, he's doing better, keeping his swordplay in top shape. He's incredulous that Samus is still seeing Falcon, even after everything he's done. I think she wants to believe that there's some good in him, and this is also the first time she's allowed herself to feel such an emotion as love. But it has Link on the warpath, and today, he gave Sam a gentle call-out on the matter. He told her that Falcon will keep doing what he's been doing behind her back, and if she confronts him over it, he'll just say what she wants to hear in order to placate her.**

** "I just don't like women being hurt," Link explained. "Physically, psychologically or otherwise. It's a hero thing."**

** Samus told us that she's aware of Falcon's antics, and that her patience is wearing thin. If he doesn't stop, then she'll have no choice but to end the relationship. But the way she said it indicated that she hopes it doesn't get to that.**

** I'm curious, though—why does this have Link so riled up? Is it from a sense of companionship or chivalry—or is it something more? Does Link have feelings for Samus? And if so—where does that leave him and Zelda, if they're actually an item?**

**…**

_**June 27**_

** I can't sleep at night often. Either I'm wired or angry or worried—I'm usually the last to drop off. Sometimes, I invite Ness, DK, Sam, Link and Jiggs over for all-nighters. We play card games, watch movies and even pop a few cartridges into my Nintendo 64, and it's enough to make me drowsy. But there are nights when I need to be by myself. Recently, I've stocked up on those practice dummies, and whenever I need a release, I pull out a dummy and a CD, and boom. Other nights, I simply put on some swell beats to roll my hips to. When I dance, I say things I can't say out loud. Dancing and shimmying the night away has become something I look forward to after my matches are done.**

** If not for that outlet, then I would've done something I'd later regret by now. Don't get me started on how things are going on the Fox and Falcon front. I think they're actively encouraging the spectators to heckle me and later talk trash about me on the blog. Poor Ness still catches their ire, as well, on top of the mess from those four teens. MH has been made aware of the situation, and he's contacted the four boys' parents, but I doubt that it'll permanently stop the madness.**

** Luckily, Ness and I, along with Link, Samus and DK, get our chances to square off with Falcon and Fox on the battlefield, where they're at least protected by rules and regulations. Since there's only twelve of us, there are limited ways MH can arrange matches. But each day, at least one of us is pitted against one of them, and it's awesome. I still haven't quite gotten over the **_**name**_** Falcon called me, and I spare nothing with him on the battlefield. Maybe one **_**big**_** match between us will be all it takes to get that anger out. Until then, I'm content with pounding the stuffing out of him and Fox whenever possible, or with watching the other C tiers do the same. If MH chose two random C tiers to face off against the two A tiers in a Team Battle, then I would be **_**so**_** happy.**

**…**

_**July 6**_

** They think that just because the five of us are on the lowest tier, we can't beat anyone else on the roster? Oh, boy. They have another thing coming. You should see Link, Ness, Sam and DK on the battlefield, demonstrating that "C" in this case doesn't mean "mediocre". The jeerers and hecklers go silent with shock whenever they win, and the four of them just look around the arena, daring them to object to what they just witnessed. But when **_**I'm**_** on the battlefield, that's the **_**piece de resistance**_**. I tune out the taunts and shouting and just go at my opponents, sweat rolling down my face, yelling my lungs out, until their last stock is taken or MH calls "Game!" I don't see anyone ripping on me for being last place or the second player for an hour after that.**

** It's best when Fox or Falcon are my opponents. You should see their eyes as we face each other on a given stage. Today, I had a pulse-pounding throwdown with the good Captain on Hyrule Castle—you know, the stage with the gazebo. I racked up the damage points, cornered him at that gazebo and then infinitely comboed him into the next century! Oh, yeah! Of course, he grumbled a few indignant phrases after I won over him, but still. I felt a little better regarding what he said to me in the lounge; however, the sting is still there, and I doubt it will ever go away.**

** As I predicted, MH contacting the parents of Ness's bullies provided only temporary relief. And now, they're setting upon him more relentlessly than ever. I help Ness vent in the Training Room and on the basketball court, and we share sundaes in the ice-cream parlor. But while Ness is usually a nice kid, it would be a bad idea to push him too far. Just like me.**

** In other news, DK departed the Smash Mansion for DK Isle. It turns out that K. Rool and his Kremlings have not only stolen DK's secret stash of bananas but also captured the rest of the DK Crew! Sam, Link, Ness and I gathered in the Main Hall to wish DK good luck before seeing him off. He promised to keep in touch with us and send regular updates via email or our blog. But I have faith in him. I know K. Rool and the Kremlings won't stand a chance against the mighty DK!**

**…**

_**July 7**_

** MH did something special for Ness today. He called up the four teens still giving the young psychic a hard time and personally invited them and their parents to the Smash Mansion. Once they arrived, he escorted the four teens onto a special stage, and the lights came on to reveal Ness standing there, bat in hand, waiting for them. I sat in the front row with Sam, Link, Ness's friend Paula, Yoshi and Mario, a huge smile on my face. MH could barely contain the joy from his voice as he calmly announced that the four teens would face off against the boy from Onett in a ten-minute, no-items match. Then, he teleported to safety and shouted, "GO!"**

** It was ten minutes of Heaven. I sat back with the others and watched Ness demolish those four tormentors. Fire was in his eyes, which belied the calm expression on his flushed face. He had no qualms over using his yo-yo, PK Fire and PK Thunder along with his trusty baseball bat. His PSI Magnet didn't really help, since it only absorbed energy-based attacks, but it turns out that he didn't need it. The four teens were barely able to land a clean hit on him, and whenever they did, Ness made them regret it. They had no idea who they were dealing with, but today, they found out.**

** After the match, the chastened teens apologized to Ness and promised to leave him alone from now on. The hecklers have also seemed to get the hint, as well. I guess that leaves me as their sole target. But there's no reason to fret. I can handle them. I can take whatever they dish out at me.**

**…**

_**July 30**_

** I can't look at it. I dare not look at it. The tier list, the catalyst for the seemingly endless torment. It wants to rule over me, over Ness, over Samus and over Link but we're not gonna let it. The good news is that the hecklers have laid off of Link, Samus and Ness as of late. The bad news is that they're all unloading on me. It's more covert and passive-aggressive, of course, since MH has finally started taking a firmer stance, but it's still there. Either way, I don't let them hurt me. Once they spot a crack in my armor, then they won't ever stop. So I keep my strength up, keep my skills up, watching over the little seed that's planted inside of me, still holding out hope that it'll eventually bloom. I confide in Sam, Link and Ness, just as they've confided in me. I follow my own advice, retreating to the Training Area or my room to sweat out the roiling emotions before they overpower me. I breathe through the pain and just keep fighting and fighting. And when those two A tiers pull their pranks on me, I force myself to not react. Maybe then, they'll get tired and abandon the venture. It's a fool's chance, but it's better than no chance at all.**

**Even so, it's started to wear on me after a while, and my fellow Smashers are starting to catch on, especially my bro. He looks like he wants to jump down my hecklers' throats nowadays, and he's definitely no slouch when it comes to the Smash Battles. Don't worry, he's had the opportunity to take on Falcon and Fox himself, and I had the immense satisfaction of watching Mario cut those two down to size. And recently, Jiggs lent me one of her infamous black markers. It's good to have a black marker. You can do many things with a black marker.**

**…**

_**September 18**_

** Today wasn't my best day, I guess. More losses than wins. I don't know why—I was doing so good—**

** But oh, do they **_**love**_** it! They love seeing me stumble and fall, bruise and bleed, because that's what I'm supposed to do in their eyes. I gave each of my opponents everything I had and more, yet I still lost to some of them. I don't know if it was the stage of choice or my self-esteem having taken an epic battering. But I could sense the spectators (except my fans, of course), eating it up, cheering and laughing as I suffered one humiliating defeat after another.**

** I find myself standing before the piece of paper that started it all, the black marker Jiggs had given me tight in my fist, tears streaming down my face. For close to 4 months, I've held it all in and took more than any being could. But I keep hearing the laughter and the insults and the hating, and I feel something inside of me flipping a switch. Tears turn into almost hysterical sobs, snot runs down my nose, my body starts shuddering out of control—**

** And **_**that stupid list is just sitting there, as if mocking me along with the rest,**__**and I can't bear the sight anymore, I can't look at it anymore and it's still staring at me and shamelessly reminding me how much of a blight I am AND IT MEANS TO PUT A CURSE ON ME, IT MEANS TO BURN INTO ME AND COVER ME IN ITS FOUL STENCH WHICH I CAN NEVER WASH OFF NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY AND I'M STILL BEING THROWN UNDER THE BUS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN TO JUST F—ING LAY OFF AND OH GOD IT'S TOO MUCH IT'S TOO MUCH I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER I CAN'T TAKE IT I CAN'T TAKE IT I CAN'T TAKE IT I CAN'T TAKE IT I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T!**_

** An enraged scream rips from my lungs, and my body lunges forward, my black marker slashing at that infernal tier list…**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	12. View from the Corkboard

**View from the Corkboard**

"Oh, dear God," said Master Hand.

He stood with a group of Polygons before the corkboard in the Main Hall. Smack in the middle, the tier list still hung, beside the day's scheduled matches, as it had been for close to four months. But now—that piece of paper had undergone a drastic change.

It was presently covered in wild, black scribbles.

The culprit stood between two more Polygons who exhibited the unfortunate consequences of trying to get handsy with him. One had a bloody "lip", and the other's "eye" was nearly swollen shut. Both sported broken noses and were mottled with bruises, but they now held the green-clad man formally by each elbow.

Luigi glowered at MH and the assembled Polygons, his face flushed and sticky with tears and snot. More unshed tears shone in his eyes. His chest angrily heaved in and out, his fists clenched, and his nostrils flared. One of the Polygons held up the black Sharpie he'd confiscated from the plumber and handed it to the Hand of Creation.

"He really worked it over, sir," they said. "It appears he has a major issue with the tier list."

MH glanced from the vandalized tier list to the vandal, seeing the hurt and rage radiating from Luigi's body. He shouldn't have been shocked, but he was. This was _Luigi_, shy, awkward, gentle, easygoing Luigi, they were talking about here! He was normally a pacifist, slow to anger and less violence-prone. If someone or something managed to infuriate Luigi, then there was a serious problem afoot.

It had never been a tougher time to be the Smash tournament's master of ceremonies. Apparently, his words had gone through one ear and out the other. Fox, Falcon and some of the spectators persisted in their disrespectful behavior, especially when it came to a certain man in green. MH had issued armloads of citations and even imposed brief suspensions on the racer and the vulpine. Alas, they'd just switch to more covert tactics. One moment, they could be begging forgiveness from Luigi, and the next, they could be targeting him for pee and poop pranks as well as stunts in the shower. He'd sensed the plumber's emotions slowly brewing and considered having a chat with him, but he'd peeped in on him from time to time, seeing him in lively converse with the other C tiers, Yoshi, Jiggs or Mario. It hadn't looked like he was falling apart at all. Then again, appearances could be deceiving.

On the battlefield, Luigi seemed to use the jeers, pranks and various other humiliations as fuel, especially when a higher tier was the opponent. He'd give each throwdown his all, translating whatever volcanic emotions he must've been feeling into unrelenting blows against his opponent. Sweat would pour off of him, and he'd yell until his throat was sore. But the majority of his wrath was saved for a certain "A" tier. Master Hand would never forget the match between the man in green and Captain Falcon at Hyrule Castle one fine afternoon. It had started off normally, but only a few minutes in, Luigi had practically exploded! He'd quickly gotten his opponent to an area of the stage popularly nicknamed "the Tent", where, true to its moniker, the plumber had unloaded on the good Captain with infinite combos using a wall and the gazebo. By the time Douglas escaped, it had been too late. Luigi had won. Douglas had spent the afternoon sulking, but Luigi hadn't gloated. He never gloated. He'd just blushed and mumbled something about good practice.

Yet despite these victories, he was still being trounced by spectators and bloggers alike. And today, it had finally been too much.

MH had frozen in his seat when he heard the violent sobs, followed by a scream of pure rage. More sobs had echoed through the halls, and accompanying them were the unmistakable sounds of a scribbling marker. Running footsteps had thundered past his office door as some Polygons ran to investigate. There had been scuffling, swearing in Italian, yelling in Italian. And then the sobs had slowly dwindled into quiet weeps.

A Polygon had burst into the office.

"What is it?" MH had asked.

"Sir, you've gotta to see this!" the Polygon had shouted. "Just look at what that green-clad nutcase has done!"

MH had followed the Polygon straightaway to the Main Hall—which brings us back to the present. The Hand of Creation scrutinizing Luigi in the firm grip of the two Polygons he'd scuffled with earlier as the man in green glared back at him.

Finally, MH spoke.

"Let him go," he said to the two Polygons.

The Polygon pair complied at once, Luigi searing them with a death stare as he rubbed his forearms.

"What shall you do about this, sir?" asked a Polygon. "We're talking about vandalism _and_ assault here."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," said MH. "Leave us."

The Polygons filed out, leaving MH and Luigi alone.

"Well, Luigi?" asked MH. "Would you care to explain this?"

Luigi swallowed back another sob. "This f—ing thing has been pushing me and pushing me," he snapped, "and I'm sick of it!"

"Luigi," MH said in a softer tone, "I know what you've gone through lately. Believe me, I tried everything in my power to stop it."

"Yeah? Well it sure worked out great!"

MH draped his fingers around Luigi's shoulders and gently steered him to a nearby restaurant, where they sat at a booth together.

A Polygon came by seconds later and plunked down a large pepperoni pizza with a stuffed crust, followed by a liter of Sprite. "On the house," they said.

"Thanks," said MH.

Wiping his tears with his sleeve, Luigi carefully levered out a pizza slice and set it on his plate.

"Please, Luigi—please, tell me what happened today," entreated MH.

"I just—I—I lost several important matches today, and I guess they were all waiting for me to lose," Luigi softly explained.

"All Smashers have bad days, match-wise," said MH.

"Not like me!" Luigi's temper flared up again. "As soon as I lost, they all started snarling after me like a pack of ravening wolves!" He calmed down, took a sip of Sprite, and continued. "I didn't let them see me break. It's not like I lost on purpose, either. Then, I wound up in the Main Hall, staring at that list and thinking about what's been done to me because of it. The marker was in my hand. And I just—got flushed—and—and hot—and I…" He bowed his head. "I know what I did was wrong, but it felt right. It felt d—n good." Defiantly, he raised his head. "And I'm not sorry."

"Why didn't you talk to me?" asked MH. "Or to Mario or to a friend?"

"Why? So they could coddle me?" scoffed Luigi. "I'm not a baby, Master Hand. I don't need to be shielded from bullies anymore."

"Yes, I understand," said MH, "but if you'd talked to someone about this, then maybe you wouldn't have snapped like that. I noticed what you've done for Ness, Link, Samus and DK lately. You're taking most of the harassment so they won't have to. The way you stick up for them is admirable. But—that leaves little time for you. And that caused the frustration inside you to build until…" He spread his fingers.

Luigi wolfed down his pizza slice before helping himself to another one. "I'm still not sorry," he said again. "That tier list has caused nothing but heartache and headache."

"Couldn't you have found a better outlet?" asked MH.

"I have several outlets. I fight my matches. I write on the blog. I spar with Polygons in the Training Area. And I dance."

"What else interests you?"

"Art," said Luigi. "I like to paint—especially finger-paint. I haven't outgrown that. And playing the piano—tickling the ivories has always relaxed me, though I was too shy to try out at recitals."

"Art and music," said Master Hand. "I need more recreational activities for my Smashers. I'll see if I can get more funds rolling in."

"You really think that'll do something?" asked Luigi.

"I don't want people flying off the handle like you just did," explained MH.

"It'll help them work out their feelings," said Luigi, "but it won't help with this."

The two of them ate some more pizza slices before MH spoke up again.

"I guess there's only one thing left to do," he said.

"What's that?" asked Luigi.

"Take down the tier list," said MH.

"You'd really do that?"

MH nodded. "It's been misused long enough. If I'd known this would happen, then I wouldn't have put it up. I hope that things can return to a semblance of normal without that constant reminder of some professional gamers ranking you."

For a while, Luigi sat there silently. Then, his eyes once again welled up with tears. Tears of relief.

"Oh, Master Hand," he said. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"It won't be an instant solution," conceded MH, "but it's a good start. However—that doesn't excuse the fact that you took a black Sharpie to tournament property, which violates Smash's code of conduct."

"Wh—what are you saying?" asked Luigi.

"I'm sorry—but you must face the consequences of your actions," MH said solemnly. "I have no choice but to place you on probation for the next week, and you must pay a fine of 25G by the end of the month. I'm actually being quite lenient. If not for the obvious mitigating circumstances, you would've been suspended."

Luigi let out a sigh. "Seriously?"

"You'll still be allowed to fight on the battlefield," said MH, "but you can't participate in any special matches. Also, you'll still be able to use the Training Area, the lounges and the other recreational facilities. It's not that bad."

"Wow," said Luigi.

"I know why you did it," said MH, "but I can't condone such behavior."

"I get it," murmured Luigi.

"And for the love of God, _please_ talk to someone next time," MH went on.

"Okay," said Luigi, hoping to appease the giant glove. "I will."

**…**

Master Hand made good on his promise, taking down the tier list early the next morning and putting up motivational signs in its stead. He could almost feel the entire Smash Mansion heaving a relieved sigh in response. The stupid thing had done more harm than good, and as he'd told Luigi, once the daily reminder of everyone's rankings were gone, perhaps everyone would finally shape up.

Removing the tier list had a positive effect on the C-tiers. Luigi's fire began to cool, and he could better hold his temper on and off the battlefield. Ness's, Link's and Samus's moods also improved by leaps and bounds, the Space Warrior expressing a strong conviction that her relationship with Falcon could be salvaged. DK, still on his quest to free the DK Crew and defeat K. Rool, was promptly notified of MH's action, and he was likewise elated. Luigi, Link, Ness and Sam slept better in the nights that followed, and now that the specter of the tier list no longer followed them, they could care less of what the hecklers and harassers thought of them. The man in green accepted his punishment for the black marker incident so well that MH decided not to penalize him further for his brawl with Falcon in the lounge. By the time Luigi's week of probation ended, he'd taught himself to go into his matches with his emotions bubbling just beneath the surface—like he did at the sporting events and kart races back home. It was just as effective in Smash.

The atmosphere in the Smash Mansion lightened considerably after Master Hand got rid of the tier list. Unfortunately, however, it would take more than that for two certain A-tiers to see the light…

**Please R&R.**


	13. That's Too Much, Man!

**That's Too Much, Man!**

"Ready?" asked Samus.

Falcon grinned. "I was born ready," he crowed.

Hand-in-hand, the two Smashers strode onto the stage, where the audience greeted them with a roar of approval.

"They seem to be okay with me being teamed with you," mused Samus. "Perhaps you talked to them about it?"

"I had nothing to do with it," Falcon assured her. "They probably remembered that you beat Mother Brain _and_ the Cunning God of Death."

Samus placed a hand on Falcon's shoulder. "Hey, Douglas?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm counting on you," she said, "just as I know you're counting on me."

"Don't worry, Sammy," said Falcon. "We'll take our opponents together!"

The opposing team, Ness and Kirby, emerged, cold fury on the teen's face as he stared at Falcon. But the racer simply laughed in response.

"Oh, yeah!" he crowed. "We're definitely gonna take this fight!"

Samus fired him an annoyed look.

Kirby reached over and took Ness's hand. "Poyo," he said.

Ness nodded, his hard gaze still on Captain Falcon.

"Captain Falcon and Samus—VS—Kirby and Ness," boomed MH as the two teams stared each other down.

"Hey, Ness," chuckled Falcon. "Try not to cry too much when I beat you."

But Ness didn't take the bait.

"Douglas, c'mon," said Samus. "Taunting the opponent won't help us win."

"Of course—of course," Falcon murmured, a little dismissively.

"Poyo poyo," Kirby said playfully, eliciting a laugh from Samus.

"Keep dreaming, you pink fluffball," she jokingly retorted.

Then, the four of them snapped into their fighting stances.

"3—2—1—GO!" MH started the match.

"Show me ya moves!" crowed Falcon as Samus charged up her Arm Cannon.

Ness nodded to Kirby, who Inhaled his teammate and spat him back out. The Star Warrior now wore Ness's baseball cap and possessed the teen's PSI ability.

"Okay, Ness," said Falcon. "You wanna play? Then let's play."

Ness set his face and advanced on the racer. But just as he brought his baseball bat to his shoulder, Samus sent her Charge Shot into him, knocking him backward.

Falcon rolled his eyes at Sam. "I had him," he said in exasperation.

"You're welcome," Sam sarcastically replied before using her Grapple Beam to snatch up an attacking Kirby.

She smacked the pink puffball a few times with her Arm Cannon before slamming him forwards, following up with a combination of aerial attacks. Out of the corner of the eye, she quickly checked on Falcon, hoping that he was trying to back her up. But instead, he just stood there, still antagonizing Ness.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted. "My crew chief can hit harder than you—and he's in his fifties!"

Ness's eyes flashed, and he swung the bat, landing a clean hit on Falcon's midsection. Falcon doubled over, but he soon straightened, laughing at Ness.

"Just a love tap, kiddo—just a love tap," he snickered.

"PK Fire!" Ness suddenly commanded, sending a PSI fireball into the good Captain. He blasted more fiery projectiles into Falcon before the racer dodged the last one and gave Ness a one-two punch, followed by a "FALCON KICK!"

Ness fell to the ground, but he rolled over and got back up, baseball bat raised threateningly high.

Meanwhile, Kirby and Sam traded attacks, the former slashing at the latter with his Final Cutter while the latter got some damage in with her Screw Attack. She also took advantage of Kirby's multiple jumps by dropping Bombs into his path and then assailing him with armored punches and kicks as he was sent tumbling. But Kirby got even with Suplex-style throws and his Stone ability, not to mention his rapid-fire attacks. He also used Ness's PK Fire to keep the pressure on. Sam could use Falcon's help right about now.

But, no. Falcon couldn't stop toying with Ness, preening for the audience as the boy from Onett attacked with his trusty baseball bat and PSI skills. The psychic energy swirled around Ness's fingers as Falcon kept pushing his buttons. Douglas threw some hefty Falcon Punches, knee strikes and Falcon Kicks at his opponent, but most of the time, he just showed off for the audience. He hardly noticed Samus, who was now receiving a thrashing at Kirby's appendages. Kirby managed to knock the Space Warrior offstage and did a downward drill kick, meteor-smashing her and taking her first stock.

Samus huffed as she respawned. Douglas hadn't even noticed; he was still flinging barbs at Ness. Then, she saw Kirby discard Ness's ability and totter toward Falcon.

"Oh, no, you don't!" she cried, dashing in with a shoulder charge and knocking Kirby off-course. In response, Kirby Inhaled Samus, copying her Charge Shot.

"Poyo!" he laughed, his voice muffled by the helmeted visor he now wore.

In the next breath, Ness sent Falcon flying into Kirby, who lashed out with a series of fast, sharp scorpion kicks before ending with his neutral aerial attack. Sam dashed forward to help her teammate, only for Ness to intercede, his cheeks pink from exertion. A PK Thunder sizzled into the Space Warrior, sending her onto her back. She performed a floor attack as Ness raced toward her, followed by a powerful axe kick which sent him skyward. Wasting no time, she smashed him back to the floor, blocked a swing from his bat using her Arm Cannon and punched him hard in the stomach. Ness's eyes glazed over, and his body sagged.

"Whoo! Fantastic! Isn't she fantastic, you guys?" Falcon shouted to the audience.

"Let's hold off on the flattery until we win, shall we?" asked Samus before volleying Ness toward him.

"FALCOOON—_PAAAAAAAWNCH_!" With those words, the good Captain sent his trademark punch into Ness's face, launching him back towards Samus. She returned the favor with a forward Smash, and for a few seconds, they had a rally going. But then, Kirby swooped to Ness's rescue by using Stone on Falcon, allowing the young psychic to recover and send his bat into Falcon's shoulder.

The racer kicked Kirby away, glaring daggers at Ness. "You're gonna pay for that!" he snapped.

Ness moved in to attack again, only for Samus to leap in between them. First, she took the attack meant for Falcon. Then, she grappled with Ness, pummeled him several times with her Arm Cannon and then slammed him hard into the stage.

Falcon facepalmed. "Again—I had him."

Samus was about to retort when Ness grabbed her with his PSI, casually tossing her behind him. As she sought to orient herself, she watched him brandish his baseball bat and start going at Falcon anew. And as before, Falcon spent most of his energy in taunting Ness, rather than defending himself or running to his teammate's aid.

Had he forgotten what "Team Battle" meant?!

Regaining her breath, Sam noticed Kirby trying to approach Falcon, putting at stop to that with her Charge Shot. Then, she fully engaged the puffball, and after a heated fight, she sent him soaring offstage with another Charge Shot.

"I guess that makes us even," she quipped.

Then, she strode over to Ness and Falcon, using her Grapple Beam to yank the wired teen away from her teammate. Ness broke free of her grasp and counterattacked with cold, precise baseball swings, but she dodged and retaliated with Arm Cannon swipes. She racked on a good amount of hit points before sending him toward Falcon to finish him off.

But he didn't.

"Look at that," sneered Falcon. "Not so tough, are you?"

"Are you kidding me?!" balked Samus. "He's at 100%! Finish him!"

Falcon ignored her, continuing to mock the downed teen. Eventually, Ness got to his feet and adjusted his baseball bat, nothing but hatred in his heart for Douglas Jay Falcon.

"C'mon!" shouted Falcon, further provoking Ness. "I'm right here!"

Then, Kirby crashed into him from behind, knocking him onto his stomach.

Ness ran forward, the two of them double-teaming the racer. Samus prepared another Charge Shot, her exasperation building.

"Must I do everything?" she asked no one in particular as she let the Charge Shot fly.

Ness activated his PSI Magnet, absorbing the Charge Shot and restoring a small percentage of health to himself and to his teammate. Sam then ran forward, but Ness stopped her once more as Kirby engaged Douglas. The Star Warrior obtained Falcon's neutral special move before sending him into the blast zone with his own Falcon Punch.

"We've gotta focus," Samus cautioned when Douglas re-spawned. "We both have only one stock left, and while I managed to take one of Kirby's stocks, Ness still has both of his."

"No sweat," grinned Falcon. "We've got this in the bag."

Samus stared in disbelief as Falcon cockily strutted toward Ness and Kirby. "Yes! Show me ya moves!" he exclaimed.

And thus, the Team Battle went on like this, Falcon grandstanding for the crowd and verbally eviscerating Ness for his low ranking while Samus did most of the fighting. It went about as well as one would expect, the two bounty hunters standing no chance against a super tough pink puff and a seriously p—ed off psychic teen. By the end of the match, Ness had actually cracked his bat in two, he'd slammed it into the infuriating Falcon so much and so hard. Douglas thought that his high ranking would propel him and Sam to an easy victory, but he must've forgotten that in a Team Battle, a fighter shouldn't have the teammate do the grunt work while he made fun of a member of the opposing team and acted like a cheerleader at a pep rally. As a result, Samus and Douglas lost disastrously to Kirby and Ness. Kirby defeated Sam with a copied Falcon Punch, while Ness took Falcon's last stock with a Grand Slam powerful enough to snap his bat in half.

"GAME SET!"

"What?" Falcon asked in disbelief as the two teams were teleported to the Reception Area.

Kirby high-fived Ness before doing a victory dance. Ness simply placed his hands on his hips and beamed.

"This game's winner is—Blue Team!" MH announced, to cheers from the spectators.

Samus heartily applauded, while Douglas fumed.

"Wow. Thanks a lot, Sam," he huffed before storming off.

"Wait a minute!" cried Samus as she followed him. "C'mon, Douglas, that was a good fight!"

"A 'good fight'? I was humiliated!" objected Douglas. "I thought I could trust you to have my back, Sam!"

Sam was incredulous. "What are you talking about? I was the one doing the [bleep]-kicking back there, while you were chucking insults at poor Ness!"

"You don't get it, do you?" asked Douglas. "I'm supposed to be better than Ness! I'm ranked higher than him! I was supposed to win! But hey, that's what I get for choosing a C tier as my teammate."

Samus couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you—are you saying that this is _my_ fault?"

"Wow—do I have to spell it for you? Are you C-tiers lacking in the smarts department as well as the skills department? We were on our way to victory, and then Ness practically demolished us because of you!"

"Because of _me_?!" retorted Samus. "What did _I_ do wrong? Carry most of the fight by myself?!"

"I would've put Ness in his place, but you just kept butting in and stealing my moment!" Falcon said accusingly. "You think that just because you're a C tier, you're obligated to lap up all of the attention?!"

"Well, if that's not the pot calling the kettle black!" Samus fired back.

But Falcon ignored her. "Do you honestly think that the masses who pay to watch these matches are gonna feel sorry for you? Well, news flash—they don't! Open your eyes—it's obvious that they favor the likes of me and Fox over the likes of you and Ness and Luigi!"

"Oh, so does that mean they'll favor Pikachu and Kirby even more?" challenged Samus. "They're ranked higher than you and Fox, you know!"

Falcon looked baffled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You know exactly what it has to do with this," Samus shot back. "You think you're entitled to win all of the time because some piece of paper has your name above Ness's and about mine! Well, don't you forget that Pikachu's name and Kirby's name is above yours—and they're not acting pompous about it! And you saw me on that battle stage, fighting my hardest against Ness and Kirby as they put the pressure on, while you did next to nothing! Yet you're blaming _me_ for losing?!"

"Well, it certainly isn't _my_ fault," huffed Falcon.

"It isn't?! Douglas, I was doing all of the fighting for you!"

"Evidently, you weren't—which is why we lost!"

Samus was slack-jawed. "You gotta be s—ing me," she said.

"You _insisted_ on doing all of the fighting because you wanted to steal my thunder!" Falcon went on. "I had those two on the ropes, and you didn't like that, so you decided to swoop in and play the armored action hero! I don't know if it's because you're a C tier, or because you're the only woman in this tournament or because of your tragic past…"

"Hey! Jiggs is a girl, too!" Samus hotly broke in.

"That's not the point!" snapped Falcon. "You are so _desperate_ for brownie points that you're willing to step on someone else's moment! You stomped on _my_ big moment! And now look what's happened!"

Samus shook her head. "It's always about you, isn't it?"

"I can't believe a C-tier whipped my [bleep]! _Now_ what's everyone gonna think of me?!" Douglas glowered at the bounty huntress. "You made me look ridiculous in front of thousands of people! Thanks a lot!"

Samus laughed bitterly. "You're welcome!"

"I can't believe I wanted to go out with a f—ing no-good _C-tier_!"

Complete silence as the quarreling bounty hunters stared each other down.

It was all Samus could do not to punch Douglas in the jaw.

"You know what?" spat Sam. "[Bleep] you, Douglas Jay Falcon! [Bleep]! You!"

She wheeled around and marched out of there with her head held high. And she didn't look back.

**…**

Later that day, Luigi found Samus in the Training Area, furiously trading blows with a Polygon in Falcon's likeness.

"_Mio Dio_!" Luigi exclaimed. "Sam! Are you okay?"

Sam and the Polygon paused their spar and turned to face Luigi.

"Were you listening to that?" Sam asked in between gasps for breath.

"I overheard it," said Luigi. "I overheard everything."

"I knew something like this would happen," groused Samus as she turned back to her sparring partner. "The day I opened my heart to him, I told myself that I'd have all of the trouble in the world and more. And now look what happened." She hammered at the Polygon more fiercely than ever. "I hope he burns in Hell! What was he doing while our opponents were putting the pressure on me?! That stinking [bleep]! That pompous a—hole!" Angrily, she tackled the Polygon to the floor for some ground-and-pound.

Luigi ran over and pulled the two apart. "I've got her," he told the Polygon. "Make sure Master Hand knows what happened."

"He already does," said the Polygon, getting to their feet. "Take it easy, Sam."

They walked fairly fast out of the room, leaving Samus with Luigi. The man in green held her until she stopped shaking.

"I thought he cared about me," Samus said after a while.

"Sam—he only cares about himself—and Fox," said Luigi.

"Yeah—I got that figured out. He wouldn't stop talking about…"

"I know," said Luigi. "I know."

"I guess I'm to blame, too," Sam went on. "I played with fire, and I got burned because of it."

"This isn't your fault," said Luigi. "You did nothing wrong. He wants you to think otherwise, but you can't let him."

Samus drew a shaky breath. "Why?" she asked. "Why would he say that to me? Why would he use me as a scapegoat? Why?"

"I don't know," Luigi sadly replied.

"Well, [bleep] him," growled Samus. "Who needs him? He certainly doesn't need _me_! I bet he's hanging around with Fox right now, without a care in the world! My world is well rid of him!"

Sam and Luigi withdrew from their embrace and stood up. Then, Luigi crossed the room to the music player and slid in his favorite CD before whipping off his shirt and tossing it aside. After pressing "play" and turning up the volume, Luigi rejoined Samus. The two fighters raised their fists.

And then they sparred until two more Polygons happened upon them and insisted that they take a break.

**…**

"You were right about Falcon," said Samus as she shared a meal with Luigi, Ness and Link later that afternoon. "You were right about everything. I should've listened."

"Hey," Link said gently. "You followed your heart. I'm just upset that you got hurt because of it."

"Yeah," said Ness. "We're gonna get you through this."

"You guys are so nice," said Samus, "but I'm a tough girl. I'll survive."

"What about Falcon?" asked Ness.

"What about him?" scoffed Samus. "He doesn't give a [bleep] about me. Only Fox."

"I'll fight him for you," offered Link. "Just say the word, and I'll punish him for his cruelty."

Samus thought it over. "Thanks, but no thanks," she said. "He's not worth it."

"He can't get away with it," Ness stated fiercely. "We gotta show him what happens when he messes with…"

"Ness," Luigi broke in. "Guys, c'mon. If we retaliate, then we'll be no better than Falcon or Fox. Don't stoop to their level."

"He's right," said Samus. "What Falcon did was wrong. But revenge won't undo it, and it's not something I'm keen on fighting for."

"More importantly," said Luigi, "if you start a fight with them, do you know what will happen?"

"They're gonna get the battering of their lives," hissed Ness.

"No. You'll either get suspended from or kicked out of the tournament for fighting outside of your scheduled matches," said Luigi. "What's that got to prove?"

"What about you?" asked Link. "You came at Falcon swinging when he called you a n—b."

"I was just lucky that night," said Luigi. "There was a good chance that MH would've walked in on the fight and punished both of us. And yes—I'm still raw over what he said, but I shouldn't have given in to his provocation like that. I set a bad example for my fans that night."

Ness and Link contemplated Luigi's words.

"There are other ways to fight back against this besides throwing punches," Luigi went on. "Ignore them. Write on the blog. Do your favorite activity. And what we're currently doing—meeting up together. Our current priority should be supporting Samus."

"You're right," Ness said after thinking it over. "I don't think she'll approve of us attacking Falcon on her account."

"Like I said, it won't change what happened," said Samus, "and while it might initially feel good, it'll create a larger mess in the long term."

"You know what? I never really saw it that way," said Link. "Sam—are you gonna be okay?"

"My glass is half-full, so—yes. Eventually," replied Samus. "Thanks, you guys. You really know who your friends are when the [bleep] hits the fan."

"They go after one of us, they go after all of us," said Luigi. "We're all here for you, Sam. Always."

"Always," Link and Ness echoed.

Later, Link excused himself, and Sam turned to Luigi and Ness.

"He's really taking this hard," he said. "What gives?"

"He takes his hero duties seriously, I guess," said Ness. "Cruelty toward women is a hot-button issue for him."

"Yeah, but—when I first started seeing Falcon, Link was pretty antsy," observed Samus. "I don't know if it's one C tier looking out for another, or—if it's something more."

"Yeah—I noticed that, too," said Luigi.

"Does he—does he have feelings for me?" asked Samus.

"I can't say," shrugged Luigi.

"I thought he was seeing Zelda," said Samus, "unless they're on a break or something. It's—it's not like I appreciate him going to bat for me. I just don't wanna rush headlong into a new relationship after an old one went sour."

"I understand."

Link had returned to the table, staring intently at Samus.

"Yes—I kinda feel something for you. But I haven't given up on my relationship with Zel. We're looking for ways to spice things up, ways that don't involve a demon king trying to steal the Triforce. It's just—I look at you, and it's like Falcon doesn't appreciate having you in his life."

"Maybe he will, now that I'm gone," said Samus.

"Sam—I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression," said Link. "I _do _have feelings for you, but they're not like my feelings for Zel. And even if I wasn't seeing her, a romantic relationship probably won't work out, especially at the moment. We'd probably get funny looks, and I'll be referred to as 'the rebound elf', and it'll just be a disaster."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Samus said with a light chuckle.

Link heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad the two of us cleared the air," he said.

"Ditto," said Samus.

"It's not my place to tell you what to do with Falcon," said Link, "but just _please_, be careful with him, all right?"

"All right," smiled Samus.

The quartet resumed commiserating as they finished their meal.

**…**

That night, Samus had just finished a deeply therapeutic sweat-out at the gym. She slugged back her sports drink and jumped into one of the gym's showers, washing the stink away and changing into a fresh pair of clothes. After thanking the Polygon on duty, she headed straight to her room, turned on her TV, washed her hands and fixed herself a sandwich.

A gentle knock on her door caught her attention. "Who is it?"

"Sammy—I know you're upset," said Douglas, "but just, please—open up."

Tight-lipped, Samus marched over to the door and open it. "What do you want, Falcon?"

The racer stood there, armed with a bouquet of flowers and a pair of puppy-dog eyes. "Hey, Sammy," he said. "I need to talk to you. Explain things."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you can tell it to Fox," said Samus.

"I don't want this hanging over our heads, in case the worst should happen," said Falcon. "I admit that things got a little out of hand earlier this afternoon, but I just wanna say—I'm sorry."

"'Sorry'?" repeated Samus. "You're _sorry_? You blamed _me_ for losing that Team Battle!"

"I shouldn't have done that," conceded Falcon, "but I was just so hot and angry…"

"And it gave you the right to do that?" Samus broke in.

"I'm not saying that," said Falcon. "I'm trying to make this up to you. Give me some credit, all right?"

"You think that buying me flowers and saying 'I'm sorry' will make up for what you said to me?" snapped Samus. "You not only used me as a scapegoat, but also you tried to make me look like the one desperate for attention—and you also threw my past in my face! Why would you do that? You must've known how it would make me feel! Were you deliberately trying to push me away?"

"Push you away? Why would I do that? Sam, I love you…"

"Yeah? Well, you have a strange way of showing it."

"I didn't mean what I said—not a word," said Falcon. "After our blow-up, I had time to think, and I realized how much I hurt you…"

"Or maybe you apologized because Master Hand ordered you to," huffed Samus.

"Yes—he gave me a talking-to in his office, and he encouraged me to talk to you," confessed Falcon, "but I'm swallowing my pride here. Can't you just throw me a bone?"

"You stood there, held me responsible for our defeat and said, 'I can't believe I wanted to go out with a f—ing C tier!' Like being in the C tier was a bad thing! You've treated Luigi like [bleep] because of it, you've treated Ness like [bleep] because of it, and now you chose to treat me like [bleep] because of it!"

"It doesn't matter which tier slot you're in—I still love you," Falcon said gently.

"_Love_? How could you say that?" Samus demanded of him. "Your behavior over the past few weeks didn't look like the behavior of someone in love. The display you put on didn't sound like love to me. You didn't so much as lift a finger to help me during that Team Battle, and you know it!"

"Sammy, please…"

"Oh, no, no, no. There's no 'Sammy, please'," Samus said icily. "I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt before—but a line has been crossed. Do you think I need your foolishness in my life?"

"Just give me another chance," pleaded Falcon. "I'll change. I promise."

"Ha—that's what they all say," Samus shot back, "but it's too late. I've already made my decision. You had your chance, and you blew it. But hey—at least you have your partner-in-crime Fox, right?"

"I—I…" Falcon stammered.

"It's over," Samus tersely announced. "Goodbye, Captain Falcon."

And then she slammed the door in his face.

Defeated, Falcon returned to his own room, flopped onto his bed and turned on his TV to the sports channel.

And Samus finally allowed herself to grieve for the relationship that could've been.

**Please R&R.**


	14. Must Be Held Accountable

**Must Be Held Accountable**

**Accountable (**_**adj**_**): subject to giving an account; capable of being accounted for**

**Accountability **_**(n**_**): the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions**

**-from **_**Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary**_**, 11****th**** ed**

Fox and Link stood facing each other on the former's starship. The Hero of Time held the Hylian Shield in one hand and the Master Sword in the other, his eyes flint as he took in his opponent. Fox, for his part, unholstered his Blaster and twirled it in his fingers, hoping to intimidate Link.

"I hope you're ready," chuckled Fox.

Link locked his jaw, saying nothing. He'd had about enough of Fox's attitude.

"Not a talker, huh?" asked Fox. "That's fine by me."

The elf prayed for the match to start so he could put this uptight vulpine in his place.

And his prayer was answered.

"3—2—1—GO!"

"Come on!" shouted Fox, twirling his Blaster again. "I'm right here!"

"Hyaah!" yelled Link, opening the fight with a sword slash combo.

With a series of flashy moves, Fox evaded the slashes, retaliating with Blaster shots. "You can do better than that, elf boy!" he crowed.

Then, Link's boomerang beaned him in the face, drawing blood. Fox's eyes narrowed.

"Big mistake," he growled, advancing on Link, who held his sword to his face.

Starlight danced off the blade as Link handled it like an expert swordsman, landing shallow but stinging cuts on his opponent. Fox fought back with punches and kicks, but he was more focused on putting on a show for the spectators than taking Link's sword skills seriously.

Sound familiar?

"So, Link," Fox said casually as the two traded blows. "How's 11th place treating you, huh?"

Link blew air between his lips and replied with an aerial slash which knocked Fox back a bit.

"Eh—it's not _too_ bad," Fox went on. "At least you're not at the very bottom, like your friend, Luigi. The universe just enjoys s—ing in his face, doesn't it?"

Again, Link ignored him, taking Fox by surprise with his down aerial, an airborne downward stab. Then, he used his slashes to attack Fox's footwork, briefly knocking the vulpine off his feet with a Bomb.

Grinning, Fox rose to his feet. "Is that all you got?" he asked.

Link heaved another Bomb at him, only for Fox to use his Reflector to knock it off course. Then, the elf dashed forward and performed his Spin Attack.

"Impressive," Fox said mockingly, hitting Link with a no-look kick, followed by a tail swipe.

The Hero of Time was sent sprawling, but he could still raise the Hylian Shield as Fox let loose a stream of Blaster fire.

"I've got you pinned, elf boy!" laughed Fox. "Let's see you ocarina your way out of this!"

Exasperated, Link threw his shield at Fox like a discus, knocking the leader of Star Fox on his [bleep].

"Didn't see that coming," groaned Fox as he struggled up.

He didn't see Link's flying kick coming, either. The bearer of the Triforce of Courage didn't give his foe time to recover, quickly going on the offensive with a flurry of sword strikes and forcing the vulpine toward the stern of the ship, which was a hot zone for infinite combos.

Fox was now balanced on the starship's wing. "Cute little elf likes to play with swords?" he taunted. "Well, don't flatter yourself—they put you in 11th for a reason. What saved you from being total trash—that silly hat? That faerie?"

_Leave Navi out of this!_ Link wanted to shout, but he knew that it was what Fox wanted. He couldn't lose focus.

Fox backflipped, grabbed the edge of the wing and then swung himself up with a double-footed kick to Link's face as the audience _ooh_ed. Link rolled to his feet and retrieved the Hylian Shield.

"Just a stupid little elf with a sword and a shield and a faerie and an ocarina," sneered Fox as he strode toward Link. "No wonder you're in 11th place. You can't play a tune on that thing to save your life."

Link swallowed the rising anger, waiting for Fox to attack, to do anything. But he was doing nothing—except mocking him.

"Is that stupid green tunic the only thing you ever wear? It looks like a dress to me. You're supposed to be the 'Hero of Hyrule', and you can't even dress the part."

Link danced forward then, the Master Sword swishing the air. Fox performed some flashy, evasive leaps and spins before crashing into the elf with his FireFox move. Link found himself gripping the edge of the stage, Fox smiling down at him.

"Too easy," he snickered, performing a downwards kick which sent Link plummeting into the blast zone.

"Eleventh! Eleventh!" the audience mockingly chanted as Link respawned.

"What would the people of Hyrule think of their beloved hero now?" asked Fox as Link brandished his sword.

The two Smashers fiercely resumed their battle. Link feinted, sliced and thrust the Master Sword while Fox dealt out a series of kick attacks, making catty remarks the whole time. The elf did his best not to let Fox's words get to him, dismissing it as juvenile trash-talking, but as the match wore on, the verbal attacks became more—personal.

"No matter how many times you save Hyrule, that big ol' Gerudo always finds a way to invade it again." Fox's eyes glittered, and his mouth twitched as he struck and leapt clear of the Master Sword. "Now what do you think of that, Mr. Eleventh-Place Elf? Why can't Hyrule stay safe for once? Oh, right—you're the second-worst fighter in Smash Bros."

_Don't react_, Link cautioned himself.

"Look at you. In that stupid green tunic, parading around with a sword and shield like you're playing dress-up, and talking to a faerie who only says 'Hey, listen!' Second to Luigi, you're the most laughable 'hero' I've ever seen!" Fox just didn't know when enough was enough. "I bet that when your back is turned, all of Hyrule grumbles to themselves 'That elf-boy just cleaned up this mess; can he see fit to keep it clean for, I don't know, _ten minutes_?'" He laughed. "Wait until they see you now."

He grabbed Link and sent his knee into the elf's sternum—once, twice, thrice—before throwing him hard into the starship's back wing. Slightly dazed, Link fished out a Bomb and hurled it at Fox to buy some time.

"And what about Zelda—your lovely Princess?" Fox persisted as the two furiously battled it out on the stern of the Great Fox. "What would she think about you now? Would she still run to you whenever her kingdom is thrown into danger? Would she still lie with you, even after seeing that tier list?"

Link sucked in his breath, his attacks growing angrier as the words struck their mark. _I will keep calm. I will keep calm. I will keep calm._

"I'll bet she's in her castle, _puking_ over the fact that she's been f—ing a trashy little elf-boy like you for the past thirteen years!" Fox went on. "Unless f—ing you is the only way she can keep her kingdom safe! For a Princess, her prerequisites for heroes are extremely _lax_. Maybe she'll wise up and realize that she can get with anyone in the world. Maybe she'll throw in the towel and hop into bed with Dorf. Sexy, muscular, tan-skinned Dorf."

He locked eyes with Link. "Ah, hit a nerve, I see," he said in satisfaction.

"You piece of [bleep]," Link huffed out. "You know nothing about me and Zelda. She doesn't care about some list. She doesn't care about my flaws. We're as in deep in love as we were the day we first met, and how I'm ranked in this tournament will never change that."

"Oh? Then what's that saying about absence making the heart go yonder?" Fox retorted. "What if something happens while you're out here making a spectacle of yourself, and she'll just go out and find herself another hero who's bigger than you—in every sense of the word?"

"You think she needs a man to protect her all the time?" spat Link. "She knows how to use a sword. She keeps a rapier. And she's a tactician! She wasn't entrusted with the Triforce of Wisdom just for having a pretty face, you know."

"And how come a silly little elf with a faerie was entrusted with the Triforce of Courage?" grinned Fox. "Just sayin'—there's no way someone like you can keep her happy."

"[Bleep] you," Link spat out. "[Bleep] you—and the horse you rode in on." He wanted to rip Fox's head off. He was sorely tempted to comment on how the vulpine was unable to protect his recently-murdered father, James. Or perhaps make a passive-aggressive observation about Fox's love life, or lack thereof. But he held his tongue. Lowering himself to that would do no good.

Fox continued to shamelessly rip on Link for being eleventh and how it may or may not have affected his personal and professional life. But Link didn't lose his composure, aside from fighting more ferociously. Eventually, he used Fox's jibing against him, tricking him into making easily-avoidable mistakes before taking one of his stocks. Alas, Fox failed to take the hint.

By the time both fighters were down to one stock each, Link was hot and internally fuming. He wanted to humiliate Fox in front of God and everyone and see how quickly he'd stick up his nose at others then. And eventually, he did. The vulpine was so busy jeering and taunting Link that he forgot to pay attention to the stage hazards and wound up in a shower of Arwing lasers. A cold smile stretched across Link's face as he moved in and took his opponent's final stock with a Spin Attack.

"GAME SET!"

Fox glared at Link as the latter's victory was announced in the Reception Area. "You were lucky," he groused.

Link smiled tightly at him. "Maybe I was," he said. "Better luck next time, yeah?" He held out his hand.

But Fox didn't shake it. Instead, he wheeled around and stormed off, muttering indignantly over being defeated by "a low-tier elf playing dress-up".

"Wow, what crawled up his [bleep]?" Link asked no one in particular as he headed for the showers.

**…**

"That self-righteous _figlio di p—a_!" Luigi exclaimed as he, Samus and Link enjoyed a meal at a burger joint. "I can't believe he said that to you!"

"Me, neither," said Link. "He was so courteous the first time we met."

"This has gone on long enough," said Luigi. "First, Falcon goes off on Sam, and now this!"

"Whatever MH is doing isn't helping," Ness chimed in. "I wish DK was here right now. He'd Giant Punch those two into the next century."

Samus and Link hummed in agreement.

"But Luigi's right," Ness went on. "Violence won't solve this problem—not outside of the battlefield, at least."

"Yeah," said Samus. "How are you holding up, Link?"

"Not good," Link said truthfully. "He said some things about Zelda that I'm not gonna repeat."

"Why would he insult Zelda?" asked Luigi.

"He didn't insult her," clarified Link. "Just—my relationship with her."

"D—n," said Samus. "What is _up_ with him?"

"I wish I knew," said Link, "but I _do_ know is that he has some serious issues he needs to work out."

"Amen," said Samus.

"Both Falcon and Fox have crossed a line," said Luigi, "and they must be held accountable."

"Well—what if we retaliated and made it look like an accident?" asked Ness. "That ought to give them something to think about."

With just a _look_, Luigi ixnayed the idea. "Their day is coming, and it's fast approaching," he said wisely. "All we have to do—is wait."

**…**

"Show me ya moves!" crowed Douglas.

He and Luigi stood across from each other, atop different platforms. The match had just begun, and Falcon was confident that he'd smoke this plumber!

Not a muscle moved on Luigi's face in response to the taunt. He communicated only with his eyes, and he wished that Falcon would read the message in them. Steadily, Luigi put his fists up, watching and waiting. In the back of his mind, he knew what the racer was going to do. Maybe he could use it to his advantage.

Falcon smirked. "Scared now, huh?"

Luigi said nothing, hands clenched to the point they were perspiring. He'd let Douglas show _his_ moves first.

"Come on!" goaded Falcon, leaping across the platforms and aiming an attack at Luigi.

The plumber's eyes glittered, and his mouth worked in anticipation. He could feel his muscles snap to attention as he wound up. Before he could let go with his fist, however…

"FALCON KICK!"

Douglas found himself in empty space as his high momentum caused him to overshoot Luigi. He hung there helplessly for a bit before dropping into the blast zone below.

Luigi didn't even bat an eye.

"GAME SET!"

**…**

"WTF happened back there?" Falcon demanded of Luigi after the latter's victory was formally announced.

"What do you think?" retorted Luigi. "You self-destructed, and I won."

"But—you didn't—I…" Falcon spluttered. "D—n you, Luigi! How could you do this to me?!"

"_I_ didn't do anything!" snapped Luigi.

"Yes, you did! You and your C tier buddies made me and Fox look bad!"

"Oh, so it's _my fault_? Just like you losing that Team Battle was Sam's fault?" Luigi hotly challenged.

The question blindsided Falcon. "Wha…?"

"That's right—she told me everything," Luigi said, his tone steady but VERY angry. "How could you do something like that to her—to someone you _say_ you love, no less?! You really hurt her! You should go over right now and apologize!"

"Or what? You'll sic your beloved brother on me?" scoffed Falcon. "You've got some b—ls interfering with my love life. What happened between me and Sam is none of your bees-wax!"

"When you try to shift blame on her for something you did, then it _is_ my bees-wax!" Luigi shot back.

"I apologized already, anyhow," huffed Falcon.

"Showing up at her door with flowers and a flurry of excuses—you call _that_ an apology?"

"At least I tried!" balked Falcon.

"Evidently, you didn't try hard enough," said Luigi. "You wanna know what she said to me? She said that she doesn't need your pompous behavior in her life, and that she clearly sees that you don't need her in yours! How do you like _those_ apples, Falcon?"

Falcon huffed. "Well, _excuse me_ for telling her the truth," he said. "I can't believe she's so butthurt about it that she'd want to reject my grand gesture!"

"There you go again—scapegoating her!" exclaimed Luigi, "and now you're scapegoating _me_! Well, I'm not gonna stand for that, pal! You lost the match because of _your_ recklessness! I had nothing to do with it!"

"Yes, you did! You won without doing a d—n thing!" yelled Falcon. "What kind of Smasher does that?! But who am I kidding? Only the bottom-tier d—bag would have such low standards!"

"What—so me winning without doing anything is a crime, while you think you can just glide your way to victory without putting forth any effort?!" Luigi wanted to know. "You actually think that just because of some stupid paper that's not even here anymore, you're automatically entitled to win—but when someone _does_ by chance win without throwing a single punch, you have conniptions?! What is _wrong_ with you?!"

"I'll tell you what's wrong—_this_ is what's wrong!" spat Falcon, throwing a mean hook to Luigi's jaw.

The plumber caught himself on a nearby wall, eyes blazing. He tried to remind himself what he'd told Ness, Link and Sam countless times. He tried to remember how lucky he was that MH didn't find out about that first altercation. But Falcon's behavior was getting increasingly intolerable, and he was starting to get a sense of how difficult it was for his fellow C-tiers to follow his advice.

"Yeah! What do you think of that, _loser_?" he heard Falcon say. "How about you get your ugly n—b nose out of my love life and do what you do best—be a second banana?"

That did it.

Luigi whirled on the racer, fists raised. "Oh, you wanna go again, buddy? Huh? You wanna go again?!" His voice was low and dangerous. "C'mon, Falcon! Hit me with your best shot! I wiped the floor with you in the lounge that night, and by God, I'll do it again! C'mon, you snobby, selfish bully! Let's go! You and me! Right now!"

"Not it I have anything to say about it," boomed an even, authoritative voice.

Master Hand had arrived on the scene, flanked by a few Polygons and Mario. The red-clad man bristled at the sight of Luigi's bloodied, swelling face. Two Polygons took initiative, grabbing him before he could charge at Douglas.

The Hand of Creation, meanwhile, wasted no time interposing himself between Luigi and Falcon. "If I said this once, then I said it a million times," he said. "I will _not_ tolerate this behavior! Luigi, you _definitely_ know better! I know you've been through a lot, and I understand how you feel, but that's no excuse! This—just isn't you."

"He attacked me!" Luigi defended, pointing to his bruised face. "And before that, he was going off on me because he lost the match—_just_ like he did to Samus!"

"Did she ask you to get on my case?" spat Falcon.

"No, she didn't! She didn't ask me to do anything!" Luigi practically screamed, struggling against Master Hand and the rest of the Polygons.

"E-_nough_!" barked MH. "I will _not_ have my Smashers scapegoating each other or starting brawls in the hallways! Now, I want you two to shake hands and put this feud to rest. For good."

Grudgingly, the two Smashers obeyed.

MH turned to the Polygons. "Get him out of here," he said, indicating Falcon.

"This isn't over," hissed Falcon as the humanoids hustled him down the corridor.

"Yes, it is," MH said crisply.

"Thank God we got here when we did," breathed Mario. "Are you okay, Lil' Bro?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Luigi curtly replied. He lanced MH with a glare. "I had the situation under control, by the way."

"Not when you were prepared to start a fight in my hallway," said MH, "and don't think I'm unaware of what happened between you two in that lounge. Once all of this settles down, we're still gonna discuss it."

"Well, I _had_ to do something while you were handing out free passes like candy," huffed Luigi.

"Watch the attitude," cautioned MH. "I'm aware of the ongoing situation, and I intend to take the necessary steps to rectify it."

"With all due respect Master Hand, I don't think 'the necessary steps' are helping matters," Luigi said coldly. "Sometimes, you've got to take a few _unnecessary_ steps. Now, if you will excuse me." He turned on his heel and stalked off.

"Luigi…" MH started.

Mario stopped him. "Just let him go," he said.

After stopping at the infirmary to apply an ice pack to his face, Luigi stormed to his room, slamming and locking the door behind him. He changed into a pair of navy gym pants and no shirt before turning up his music and attacking the practice dummies he'd set up beforehand.

This had gone too far!

**…**

Several days later, Luigi was still wired over the latest incident with Falcon. Not even talking it over with Mario, Ness, Sam and Link was enough to get it out of his system. Luckily, the perfect outlet came in the form of his last match of the day—a fierce one-on-one against Fox atop the latter's starship.

He'd showed up on the battlefield wearing his green and white ensemble, and Fox could tell by his manner that he was taking no prisoners. Well, neither was he. As soon as the match started, both parties came out swinging. The mercenary leader's agility and hand-to-hand skills soon proved no match for his green-clad opponent's strength and force. It wasn't long before Fox was on the ropes, taking heavy blows from the irate plumber.

"Guess you heard what happened with me and Link," Fox said archly after he managed to roundhouse kick Luigi away. "Is—is this what you do in your spare time? Fighting other peoples' battles for them?" He chuckled. "Can't say I blame you. You've got a lot of time on your hands, what with your brother leaving you all alone while he cavorts through different worlds on his latest adventure."

This comment did nothing to improve Luigi's mood, but not a hint of it showed on his face.

"I also heard about you antagonizing Falcon recently," Fox went on. "How about you do us a favor and let us live our lives in peace?"

_The nerve of him_, thought Luigi, closing in on Fox before he could use his Blaster and rocketing more punishing blows into him.

Fox landed a hard strike to Luigi's face, still smarting from Falcon's punch. His face still smarted, his mind still smarted and his heart still smarted. Everything still smarted. Luigi attacked low, knocking the vulpine off-balance with a breakdancing flare kick. Then, he hopped back up, forcing Fox to retreat with his "sissy fists" attack before blasting his face and body with punch after punch and kick after kick.

Ultimately, Fox ended up at a three-stock disadvantage. His opponent's damage percentage was in the red, but he was stubbornly refusing to be knocked out of bounds. Fox's face reddened, but he assured himself there was still hope. However, as he and Luigi continued to battle decisively, he became conscious of a distinct crackling over his earpiece.

Was that his team trying to call him?

"Hello?" Fox spoke into the earpiece. "Who is this?"

"Hey, Fox," said Peppy Hare. "Just checking in with you."

"Oh. Hey there, Pep," said Fox. "You couldn't have called at a worse time, though."

"How goes it?" asked Peppy.

"Uh—not too great at the moment," said Fox. "I'm current in close hand-to-hand combat with my last opponent for the day. This guy is giving me everything."

"Oh, boy," said Peppy.

"What about your Blaster?" asked Slippy Toad. "How's that working out for you?"

"It's a cheap joke," huffed Fox. "My opponents don't even flinch from its shots, one of them has a shield to deflect them, and another can absorb the shots with his psychic powers. Besides, it doesn't work when fighting in close quarters." As he spoke, he managed to blindside Luigi with the FireFox and several solid kicks.

"A wise decision not to bring me along, eh, Fox?" Falco Lombardi piped up.

"D—mit, Falco! I thought you said you weren't interested!" said Fox. "Now's not a good time for this, anyway—I'm getting clobbered over here!"

"Hey," said Falco. "I have faith in you. I know you'll find a way out of this jam."

Fox exhaled. "Thanks, Falco," he said. "I gotta go now. Talk to you guys later."

"Wait," said Peppy. "Before you go, I know something that may help you."

"Really?" asked Fox. "What's that?"

"Do a barrel roll!" Peppy said happily.

"Oh, come on…!"

He was cut off as Luigi delivered one Hell of a punch which sent Fox sprawling onto his back. As the vulpine struggled up, Luigi fluidly spun and aimed a sharp kick at his opponent, knocking his earpiece clean off his face.

"All right, Luigi," said Fox as he got up. "Have it your way."

He closed the distance between him and Luigi, attempting to attack his footing and doubling him over with numerous body shots. Once the man in green recovered his wits, he darted in once more, smashed the vulpine a few times in his sternum and solar plexus and sent that Blaster twirling off into deep space with a lucky blow.

"No matter," Fox shrugged. "Slippy will just make me another. Let's finish this, L."

"For once, we agree on something," said Luigi.

The man in green gave Fox everything he had left, even cracking his opponent's Reflector. Fox was fast and versatile, and yet Luigi could more than hold his own against him! The odds were now firmly stacked against the leader of Star Fox. On his last stock without managing to take even one of his opponent's. Bruised, aching, exhausted—and now clinging onto the Great Fox's tail. Imagine the humiliation! About to be beaten aboard his own ship! By a mediocre character, no less!

_No! I am _not_ losing to the worst character in the game!_

Everything went silent. A slight chill swept down Fox's spine. He sensed something was dreadfully wrong.

And he was right.

Luigi stood over him, motionless. His fists were half-clenched. Shock, disbelief and hurt were written all over his beaten face. Slack-jawed, stunned. And then something scary began to brew in the plumber's wounded doe eyes, naked malevolence darkening his features. It hit Fox like an Arwing laser—he'd just spoken those words aloud.

"Wow, Fox," Luigi spoke up, monotone. "You _had_ to bring that up, didn't you?"

"L—you've got to believe me—that just slipped out—I…"

"Well, _this_ slipped out, too," Luigi said icily, balancing himself on the ledge and doing a bashful little kick which broke Fox's grip, sending him plummeting into the blast area.

"GAME SET!"

**…**

_This is _definitely_ spinning out of control, _Luigi thought to himself later that night. _Falcon and Fox must be held accountable. They _must._ They _must!

**Please R&R.**


	15. Free Churro

**Free Churro**

"_**No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."**_

**-Aesop**

"_**Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."**_

**-Lao Tzu**

Samus, Ness, Link and Luigi sat in the ice cream parlor together, sharing a huge sundae. For the time being, they were the only patrons, and that was fine by them. They hadn't enjoyed a quiet moment like this in a long time.

The bruising on Luigi's jawline had faded to a similar shade of green as his cap, and the swelling had started to go down. As for the pain, it had receded to a dull ache, but the same couldn't be said for the bruising and pain in his heart. He felt blazing anger, deep sadness and searing betrayal, and he was _thisclose_ to giving up all hope on renewing his friendship with Douglas. If he was gonna act like that, then he wasn't worth Luigi's time.

Sam was starting to mend her own heart in the days following her blowup with Falcon. She spent time in the gym, in the Training Area and with her new friends—her _true_ friends. Also, she called and emailed her adoptive family back home. But in spite of everything, she missed being with Falcon, and she had a hunch that Falcon missed her, in his own strange way. She'd only allowed herself one night to cry for him, and after that, she used—creative methods—to deal with her longing. The longing was emotional as well as physical, of course, but occasionally, a familiar sensation would well up in a certain southerly place. Luckily, it mostly happened at night, so she could just—relieve herself—in private. If it crept up on her early in the morning, then she'd use a warm stream of water from the shower, or even the shower head. And during the day, there were lots of outlets for her angst, so she didn't have to worry about that particular situation arising. But we're getting off topic here.

Sam was still p—ed at Falcon, but she missed him so much. She wasn't afraid to confide this to her buddies, and they were nothing _but_ patient and understanding. As always, Link's feathers were ruffled, but Sam understood that it wasn't out of a selfish desire to have her for himself. He cared deeply for her, but only as a close friend, and he didn't want to see her heart stomped on again.

Speaking of Link, he was still steamed from that match against Fox, particularly with the thing he'd said. He'd gotten downright nasty, and he even went so far as to involve Zelda! Did Fox think that it was okay for him to lambast their loving relationship just because he was considered a better fighter than Link? Did he think it was funny, castigating him like that in front of dozens of people? His first action had been to call Zelda, who assured him that everything that came out of Fox's mouth was complete and utter b.s. He'd spent the following days sparring with Polygons in the Training Area, wishing that MH had invited more swordsmen into the tournament. Quite a few Polygons were handy with a sword, but still—it would've been great to spar with Zelda or Saria or with any other of his friends in Hyrule.

After he was done sparring, Link would sit someplace quiet and play his ocarina. Contrary to Fox's opinion, he'd gotten very good at it. He'd play renditions of his favorite pop tunes, along with the more familiar melodies. The sweet, rich sounds would echo all around him, and he'd lose himself in his ocarina's lovely sound, playing until he ran out of breath.

And as for Ness—these past few days hadn't been much of a joyride, either. With some help from MH, he'd taken care of the four older teens who'd regularly made trouble for him. But now, he had to watch Fox and Falcon continue their "fabulous me" campaign, spurning the Smashers around them just for the heck of it. People had started calling him a "Boy Scout" and told him to "go home and play with [his] yo-yo or something". Then, there was Falcon's disgraceful behavior during and after that Team Battle. The racer zeroed in on the teen instead of helping his teammate, and then blew a fuse with said teammate after they lost! Ness couldn't pass Falcon or Fox in the hallways without them finding something mean to say about him, and they even took jabs at him about his "invisible" dad! They'd toned down the pranks somewhat, but it seemed that those two would never run out of ways to put him on the spot.

So, it was refreshing that the four C tiers could all be together, taking spoonfuls of the ice cream sundae in the middle of the table and leveling them into their mouths while chatting about this and that. There was nobody yelling at them, harassing them, pranking them, degrading them or assaulting them. It was the moments like these that kept them from completely snapping and doing something that would get them kicked out of the tournament or worse.

"Hello," said a perky voice.

The quartet looked up and saw one of the parlor's employees standing at their table, holding a circular tray with four baskets on it.

"Don't be mad," said the employee. "I totally don't mean to harass you guys. It's just that you looked so sad and worn down that I just _had_ to bring you these."

They set down the baskets in front of the quartet.

"These are our freshly-baked churros," the employee exclaimed. "Some of them have caramel filling, some of them have chocolate filling and some of them have vanilla filling. And," they set down several saucers filled with a variety of syrups, "here are some dipping sauces to go with them. You can also dip them in your ice cream." They smiled. "These churros are on the house. My gift to you."

Link, Ness, Samus and Luigi inhaled the churros' aroma before gazing at the employee.

And then they smiled.

"Thank you," they said in unison.

"You're welcome," said the employee before they returned to the counter.

**…**

_**Samus**_

Wow. Who knew that something as simple as a free churro could have such an effect on me? I mean, ever since the beginning of all of this, I've been emotionally buffeted. A promising relationship went up in smoke, and I know that Ridley is still waiting in the wings. But somehow, with these free churros, it doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it's like comfort food, designed to help someone feel better. Or maybe it's a sign, a hidden sign, that someone still gives a d—n about us. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. I want to run to that counter and give that employee a big hug. I want to take on Mother Brain ten times over. I want—I want—I want to do anything and everything.

A free churro won't automatically fix this. But it's a good start.

**…**

_**Ness**_

The smell of sugar and cinnamon fills my nostrils, the churro warm and soft in my fingers. I bite into it, and so many flavors explode in my mouth. A strange peace settles across my body, the tension easing from my muscles and my racing mind slowing. And all because of some baked dough stuffed with filling and dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

How can I describe it? Two people have done all of these things to me and to my friends, and I feel like I just can't take anymore. And then the employee behind the counter comes along and gives us some free churros. It's a seemingly mundane action, but to me, it's a break in the storm. The rain stops, the thunder rolls away and the dark clouds part to reveal the blue sky, rays of sunshine poking through. There's been a sea of crashing waves inside me, and as I take another bite of the churro in my hand, I can feel the waves settle. The sea calms, save for a slight breeze blowing across the surface, and it's once again safe for boats and ships to sail across.

My tongue slides along my lips, savoring the taste of the filling and the granules of sugar and cinnamon it encounters. I notice that the other churros in the baskets are gradually diminishing. There's not as much time as I would like to enjoy this unexpected treat—but I guess that's what makes it so special.

**…**

_**Link**_

The sight of that employee setting those free churros before us soothed me more than the hours I've spent playing my ocarina. This may sound funny, but I think it's the universe's way of saying that it hasn't completely turned against us. There's still some good in this world. We just—have to look harder to find it.

It feels nice, though—sitting here without having to worry about accidently disturbing a flock of Cuccos, causing them to chase after you and peck you till you want to scream. After what's happened, I feel so raw, and I want to rage against everything and everyone. Then, a perfect stranger comes along and gives us free churros, and I remember—not everyone has been mean to us after the tier list became public knowledge. The whole world doesn't have to suffer for what a select few did. Eating the free churros, I'm reminded to stop for a second and look at the small things in life—my anchors, if you will. And pardon the cliché, but I feel as if the road ahead will be less turbulent.

**…**

_**Luigi**_

Look at us—waxing lyrical over a popular dessert item.

But it's true. It means more to us than you can ever imagine.

My life has been far from easy. It's been far from perfect. I've spent my childhood being picked on for my reserved nature. I've spent much of my adult life relegated to a secondary role. So many people have sneered at me and hated on me that I've forgotten all of their names. I've even developed a small immunity to that crap. Ever since the tier list was revealed, I've been made a laughingstock, heckled, pelted with food and drinks, called a n—b, called "the last-place loser", humiliated, betrayed and even physically assaulted. But do you know what kept me going through all of those nightmarish months? Besides my big bro and the friends who haven't abandoned me?

My faith. Not in some silly old power-ups. But in myself—and in God. I've told myself time and again that I was destined to rise above this and become an implacable hero like my bro—and I will.

But I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't hurt. I'm like any other person. I bleed. I feel pain. I have a mind of my own. But the haters and bullies don't care about that. They just want to dump on me in order to get their daily power fix. And eventually, it gets to the point where I want to disregard the advice I've dispensed to Ness, Link and Samus and start throwing punches at my antagonists.

Today, I was sitting with the other C tiers in the ice cream parlor, one of our favorite activities, eating a giant sundae and sharing our stories. And then an employee walked over, gave us four baskets of churros and told us that we didn't have to pay for them.

Without any ulterior motive whatsoever, a random ice cream parlor employee gave away some churros, even though charging us for them would've generated some extra revenue.

Wow.

That's all I can say—wow.

The employee's actions today somewhat quelled the hurt and anger within me. My resolve not to give in to senseless violence was strengthened. I could deal with Falcon and Fox without fear of losing it, like I almost did in that hallway. I could shrug off the insults and scathing names tossed in my direction. I could live my life, and I could hope and dream and tend to that little seed still growing inside of me.

When that random ice-cream parlor employee unselfishly gave us those free churros, that one small, simple act of kindness was some much-needed salve for four harried and emotionally overwrought people. It was more relief from the pain than the ice pack I'd applied to my face after my "talk" with Falcon. It was a refreshing change of pace from the cruelty we'd been shown over some recyclable processed tree carcass. It was—reassurance that everything would be all right.

You don't have to save the world to be a hero. And you don't have to fight monsters to be a hero. You don't even have to fight fires or arrest criminals to be a hero. You can be a hero by doing the smallest things, like giving to the poor or needy. Like helping a senior citizen cross the street. Like coaxing a cat down from a tree. Like talking someone down from doing something drastic. Like offering comfort to someone during times of strife.

Like easing the minds of four people by giving them free churros and a smile.

* * *

"_**A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hadn't ended."**_

**-**_**Batman Begins **_**(2005)**

* * *

**I really hope someone catches the reference!**

**Please R&R.**


	16. Oh, Geez

**Oh, Geez**

**Karma (n): the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate reincarnation and to determine the nature of the person's next existence**

**-The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 6****th**** ed. (2004)**

The two teams stood in the middle of the stage, staring each other down with no love lost between them. On one team was Falcon and Fox, snooty and stuck-up as always. And on the other team was Ness and Luigi, calm on the outside and seething on the inside. This Team Battle was bound to get ugly, and there was gonna be pain. And blood. Mostly Falcon's and Fox's.

"Hey, L," said Douglas. "I hope I didn't mess up that handsome face too much. But I had to get your attention."

Luigi responded with a searing glare.

"And Ness—try not to break your bat this time," Falcon went on.

"Yeah," Fox chimed in. "We'll _try_ to go easy on you."

The two of them chortled, but Ness remained dead silent.

"What's wrong?" asked Fox. "Cat got your tongue?"

Their opponents' fists clenched. Luigi and Ness wished that the match would start already.

"Captain Falcon and Fox—VS—Luigi and Ness!" boomed MH as the spectators cheered.

Samus sat with Link, Mario, Jiggs and Ness's friend, Paula Polestar, her eyes sweeping from one team to the other. On the one hand, she couldn't wait to see Ness and Luigi give the two A tiers their due. On the other hand, she didn't want them to hurt Falcon too badly. She wanted to be down there with her two friends, so she could lay a smackdown herself, but she chided herself for thinking such things. Getting violent with Douglas wouldn't heal her broken heart, nor would it bring them closure. She huffed and took a bite out of the sandwich she ordered from the concession stand. Maybe watching this Team Battle would help her get her thoughts in order.

The arena fell silent. Luigi felt his heart speed up and his face redden. Ness's breath quickened. Fox and Falcon smirked at their opponents, but they wouldn't be smirking for long.

"3—2—1—GO!"

Ness charged forward with a battle cry, swinging his bat and landing a hefty blow on Douglas's face. Fox ran in to help, only to be stopped by Luigi's fierce body shot. Luigi punched the vulpine again, harder, following up with a flip kick which launched him diagonally into the air.

"PK Thunder!" yelled Ness, telekinetically directing a ball of electricity into Fox, knocking him further out of bounds.

Luigi lobbed several fireballs Fox's way, keeping the pressure on.

"Yeah! You're doing it!" cheered Samus. "Way to show them!"

Falcon flinched when he heard her words, remembering the look on her face when he said those terrible things to her. But it was true—she had cost them the victory that day. He shouldn't have picked a no-good C tier for a teammate, anyway.

Bringing himself back to the present, Falcon ran toward Luigi and Ness, grabbing the latter, kneeing him a few times and then slamming him backward. Eyes flashing, Luigi whirled on the good Captain and aimed a searing punch at him.

Falcon caught the punch with a cupped palm. "Impressive!" he said sardonically before counterattacking with a good Falcon Punch.

Fox, having recovered, sprayed both Luigi and Ness with Blaster fire before unleashing a series of kickboxing moves on the former, ending with a FireFox. Luigi swept his legs around, knocking Fox off his feet, and retook the offensive with a furious barrage of punches and kicks, culminating in battering the vulpine with his Cyclone attack.

But Fox sneered at Luigi as he rolled to safety. "All of that for a drop of blood," he said, tending to a small cut near his eyebrow. "Pathetic."

Rage boiled inside of Luigi, but he held it at bay, waiting for Fox's next move as they circled each other. Nearby, Ness licked his lips as he attacked Falcon with a few yo-yo tricks, kicks and powerful PSI. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his teammate and saw the barely restrained fury inside of him. He looked like he could use some help—

"Falcon Kick!" The racer's food slammed into Ness, winding him.

Laughing, Falcon snatched Ness up and began to pummel him mercilessly. "Yeah! How do you like me now?" he crowed.

Ness broke free with an angry blast of PSI and left Douglas groaning on the floor, just as Luigi closed the distance between him and Fox and attacked low, making the mercenary leader stumble. The teen brought his bat up to his shoulder and swung with all of his might, landing a perfect hit on the point of the vulpine's chin. Fox sailed back toward Luigi, who executed a downward drill kick, followed by a combination of flying kicks, dropkicks and brutal forward punches. Eagerly, Ness raced into the fray, helping Luigi double-team Fox. The psychic's PSI illuminated the stage and the stands, which also glowed green with Luigi's fire. Ness's and Luigi's faces were set with cold anger as they began to release the frustration still raging inside of them.

Falcon pushed himself to his feet and endeavored to run to Fox's aid, only for Ness to spot him and put an end to that with his PK Fire.

"Kick his [bleep], Ness!" whooped Paula.

There was a brief flash as Luigi sent a Super Jump Punch into Fox's midsection, taking his first stock. Samus and Mario cheered, while Paula watched in awe.

"That's cool," she gasped.

"I know, right?" asked Mario.

"I wish I could do that," mused Paula.

Fox was far from happy as he respawned. "No fair," he fumed.

"Yeah!" Falcon led the charge. "_We_ should be the ones taking _your_ stocks!"

Ness and Luigi exchanged disbelieved looks. So—those two wanted to learn the hard way? Fine by them.

"How about you take Fox for a bit?" Luigi asked in a low voice. "I have a bit of a score to settle with Falcon."

"Knock yourself out," said Ness.

Fox drew his Blaster, only for Ness to disarm him using an around-the-world trick from his yo-yo. Then, he fired a bolt of PK Fire into Fox's stomach before lashing out with his baseball bat. Meanwhile, Luigi landed two impressive punches on Falcon's jaw, a backwards dropkick to the face and a forward drill kick to his left shoulder. Falcon kicked Luigi from the ground and gained some footing with a shoulder charge, but Luigi grabbed him and swung him around three times before hurling him away. The racer attempted a Falcon Punch, only for Luigi to grab his wrist and painfully wrench his arm about, pistoning several more punches into him and giving his arm one last twist until he heard a muffled _pop_.

Falcon spat out a curse, using his good arm to nail Luigi with a couple of good punches, followed by a Falcon Punch. After adding in a knee strike, the racer popped his shoulder back into place and grinned. "Is that all you got?" he asked. "You hit like an old geezer."

Luigi's jaw muscles twitched, and his eyes were blue steel. He launched a handful of fireballs at Falcon as he advanced on him, and then he grappled with the upstart racer, grabbing his yellow scarf in his fist, headbutting him once and punching him repeatedly before Falcon turned the tables and roughly pinned Luigi against the stage.

"Yes!" cheered Falcon.

Luigi brought up his arms in an attempt to protect his face from Falcon's hammering fists. At the same time, he wrapped his legs around the racer's waist, interlocking his ankles at Douglas's back. Using his leg muscles as leverage, he managed to keep most of Falcon's weight off of him. Then, with a quick twist of his hips, he managed to knock his opponent off-balance. A second later, the man in green eye-poked Falcon, sending the racer toppling off of him. Luigi rolled to his knees and stood, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Luigi!" shouted Ness, still engaged with Fox. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah—are _you_ okay?"

"I'm good," Ness replied, whacking Fox with his baseball bat.

Luigi whirled back toward Falcon, stopping his charge with a solid left hook before _really_ letting him have it. His fists flew with envious precision, striking key areas on the racer's body. Douglas managed to lash back, but it did little good. Luigi headbutted him again before sending him soaring out of bounds with another forward punch. When Falcon tried to reach the ledge with a Falcon Dive, Ness caught him with a vicious swing of his baseball bat, and the good Captain's first stock was toast.

Ness and Luigi high-fived as their friends cheered in the stands.

"That'll show them," said Samus.

"You really wanna see those two defeated," observed Paula.

"Long story," Sam explained.

Luigi cracked Fox's Reflector with a roundhouse kick, and Ness sent some more PSI sizzling into the vulpine before Falcon respawned.

"You're getting on my nerves," spat Falcon.

"We have a knack for that," said Luigi.

"Not anymore," growled Fox. "Let's take them, Cap."

The two of them rushed at Luigi and Ness, who simultaneously countered their charge with a flying kick. Douglas sent a flying knee at them, but they dodged, Luigi executing a double-legged sweep and sending an elbow into Fox's face as he tried to dash in. Ness hit both opponents with a PK Thunder, knocking them onto their backs.

"I taught him that," Paula said proudly. "You go, Ness!"

"Ness! Ness! Super Ness!" some of the spectators began to chant.

"Let's go, Weegee, let's go!" cheered the other half.

"I'll be d—ned," Sam said softly. "They're starting to root for the C-tiers. What's going on?"

"Maybe they're starting to see Falcon and Fox for the arrogant p—cks they are," theorized Mario.

PSI danced about Ness's hands as he and Luigi moved back in, their strikes swift but strong. Frustration crept over Fox and Falcon, and they began making crucial mistakes. The fact that the audience was starting to cheer for Luigi and Ness wasn't helping matters at all. But the psychic and the plumber gave no quarter, having dealt with their bullying for far too long. Today, they were seeking payback with full interest!

"[Bleep] them up!" yelled Mario. "[Bleep] them up! [Bleep] them up!"

"Tear those b—ds apart!" Samus agreed. The sight before her ignited her battle lust, and she wanted nothing more than to see the man who scapegoated and insulted her in a heap on the ground.

"I feel so good!" Link exclaimed. "I feel _so_ good!"

Luigi cornered Falcon, and Ness cornered Fox, their blows pounding the two like hailstones. The crowd roared. Various Polygons exchanged nervous looks. MH watched via the monitors in his office, wondering whether or not he should stop the fight.

Ness screamed out as he belted Fox hard in the mouth with his baseball bat, taking his second stock. Luigi grunted with effort as he kicked Falcon hard in the sternum, also propelling him into the blast zone.

Now, the two A tiers had one stock remaining, while Luigi and Ness had all three.

"You a—holes are _not_ gonna do this to us," vowed Falcon when he and Fox respawned.

"Do what?" Luigi tersely asked.

Falcon's face flushed, and he lunged at the plumber. Luigi could easily dodge Falcon's punches and pepper him with his own punches. Then, Ness sent Fox sprawling before sneaking up on the racer, grabbing him, and flinging him into his teammate. The two disentangled themselves from each other before getting to their feet, glaring daggers at their opponents. Ness and Luigi simply glared back.

"Ready to finish this, Ness?" asked Luigi.

"Yeah," hissed Ness, low and determined.

Fox and Falcon practically sprang for their throats, but Luigi and Ness were ready for them, cartwheeling aside in different directions. Ness was the first to move in with PSI-infused punches and kicks, and then Luigi joined in with harder, coldly precise attacks. Sam, Link, Mario, Jiggs, Paula and the rest of the audience couldn't get enough as the two used their opponents as punching bags, turning the Team Battle into a one-sided extravaganza. Angry tears worried at Luigi's eyes, but he willed them back, refusing to let his foes see them. Ness's face was nearly beet red, but he, too, reined in the worst of his fury. Getting themselves disqualified or worse wouldn't prove anything.

"Okay, you two!" shouted Sam. "Let's finish strong!"

"Yeah!" Paula led the charge. "You've got this fight in the bag!"

With a powerful, simultaneous strike, Ness and Luigi rendered Fox down for the count. As the vulpine sailed off into the distance, the two focused the remainder of their ire on Falcon, whaling on him with little to no restraint. The Polygons swore they could hear something crack, MH was at a loss for words, and the audience didn't care anymore.

Ultimately, Luigi grabbed Falcon and heaved him toward Ness, who swung his bat with the power of five thirteen-year-olds.

_SMAAAASH!_

Captain Falcon was launched out of the ball park and into the blast area, costing him his final stock.

"GAME SET!" announced MH.

The spectators rose to their feet as Ness jumped into Luigi's arms, the two of them hugging wildly.

"Yeah! They did it!" trilled Paula.

"That's karma for you!" added Samus.

"I knew they could do it!" Mario interjected.

"So did I," said Link. "Justice has been done today."

Later, they joined the other Smashers in the Reception Area as Luigi and Ness were officially declared the victors.

"This game's winner is—Red Team!"

**…**

As Ness and Luigi strode down the hall, Falcon and Fox stomped toward them, venom in their eyes.

"You p—cks," spat Falcon. "You humiliated us!"

But the psychic and the plumber stood their ground, snapping into their fighting stances.

"Don't even think about it, Falcon," snapped Luigi. "We have no problem taking you on a second time!"

"That's right," added Ness, "and who the Hell do you think you are, blaming us for your loss? The only one responsible here is you—and Fox!"

"Why, you little…" growled Fox.

But Ness raised his bat. "Try me, pal," he dared. "Luigi and I are in no mood for anymore of your [bleep] today!"

"Neither am I," said Samus, arriving on the scene, hand-in-hand with Paula.

"Me, neither," said Link, also appearing in the hallway, Master Sword drawn.

"And if you mess with Luigi, you mess with me," Mario said ominously as he, too, walked in.

"You mess with one of us," Luigi said evenly, "and you mess with all of us."

Falcon snickered. "You think we can't take all of you?" he asked.

"As long as you keep acting the way you've been—we can curb-stomp the Inferno out of you," spat Luigi.

"What are you talking about?" Falcon demanded.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" shouted Luigi. "The sickening display you've both put on since MH tacked that godforsaken list onto the bulletin board! You think that winning will just come easily to you just because you're ranked higher than us?! Well, think again! Ness and I just demonstrated otherwise, and we'll demonstrate again right here and now if we have to!"

"Not only that," added Samus, "but Link and I will also be glad to pitch in!"

"Along with me," said Mario.

"Me, too," said Paula.

Falcon gave Samus a shocked look. "You'd—really side with them over me?" he asked.

"D—n right I would," Samus evenly replied. "I'm a lowly, good-for-nothing C tier—_remember_?"

"Wha—I…" For once, Douglas Jay Falcon was at a loss for words.

Link glared at Fox. "And I'm just a silly little elf-boy who likes to play with swords—_remember_?"

The leader of Star Fox was floored.

"You've treated me like dirt," said Luigi, "and I didn't deserve it. Neither did Ness, DK, Link or Samus. We've done nothing to hurt you, and yet you've acted like we're the enemies who need to be cut down at any cost."

"Oh, yeah? Well…" Fox trailed off. "Wow—we never really thought of it that way."

He and Falcon exchanged a look.

"J—s," Falcon said after a while. "I guess we _have_ been a bit cocky lately."

"You've been _extremely_ cocky lately," Luigi corrected, "and you know it."

The two A tiers exchanged another look. "Oh, geez," they said in unison.

"You told me that you loved me," Samus said to Douglas, "and yet when we lost that Team Battle, you immediately tried to blame me. How is _that_ love? It certainly didn't feel like love to me!" Her eyes smoldered into Falcon as he spoke.

"Sammy, I…" spluttered Falcon. "I didn't mean it."

"Like _that_ makes a difference," huffed Sam.

"It was wrong for me to lash out at you like that," Falcon said, lowering his head in shame. "I'm—I'm sorry."

"_Sorry_? Like you're sorry for making my friends' lives a living Hell?" challenged Sam.

"Like you're sorry for degrading me?" spat Link.

"Like you're sorry for calling me a n—b, for calling me 'the last place loser', for pulling juvenile pranks on me and for physically assaulting me?!" charged Luigi.

"Like you're sorry for alienating the people you used to call your friends?" added Ness.

"Look—I know we made some terrible decisions," said Fox, "but we're still good people."

"Are you?" Mario wanted to know. "What would your Star Fox colleagues think if they saw you acting like this?"

"And what would your fellow racers think?" Luigi demanded of Falcon.

The racer and the vulpine were silent.

"We—we can make it better," Falcon finally spoke up. "We can change. How—how can we make this up to you?"

"Well, you can spend less time taunting us and more time coughing up a strategy, _for starters_," Luigi replied, with heat. "Why else have you lost your matches lately?" He whirled on Falcon. "How else can you explain that Team Battle—_the one where you tried to pin the blame on the woman you 'love'_? Have you noticed that she barely speaks to you nowadays?!"

"I…" Falcon looked at Samus, who returned his gaze with a withering glare. "Oh, my God. Sammy…"

"Don't," said Samus. "Just—don't. Don't even try it."

"And Fox—have you noticed that nobody wants to spend time with you anymore?!" Luigi went on.

"Not really," Fox said slowly as the realization dawned. "No…"

Falcon gazed wearily at Fox. "We f—ed up, man," he said. "We f—ed up, big time."

"Yes, you did," Ness said sharply. "It doesn't feel good anymore, does it?!"

"No," said Fox.

"It doesn't," added Falcon.

"We used to play Twister together, Douglas!" Luigi was on a roll now, his emotions transitioning from action to words. "You, me, Ness and Jiggs—we were the Formidable Four! One quartet, taking on the world! There was a time when you didn't mind breathing the same air I breathed! We were destined to set this tournament on fire! But you saw that tier list, and boom—you were too perfect for everyone else except Fox! Your partner in crime, Fox! It was you and Fox, and the rest of us could drop dead! You couldn't even accept a sundae from Kirby because you'd be sitting with 'some bad apples'! All through that day, and the days after, you thought you were something else! That's right, I overheard you making spectacles of yourselves at the ice cream parlor and getting drunk in your room—and I was going to have a talk with you, too! And don't think I haven't noticed your antics in the last two months or so—strutting like peacocks, blasting your music like you were so f—ing cool, pulling pranks, turning your noses up at fighters just as strong as you—even your fellow unlockables! Do you have any idea of your arrogance and ignorance?!"

Falcon dropped his gaze. "Oh, geez…" he said again.

"That's all you have to say for it?! 'Oh, geez'?!" Luigi was beside himself.

"Well—what else do you want me to say?!" Falcon wanted to know.

"An explanation would be nice," said Ness. "We wanna know why you'd think stuff like that would be acceptable in your eyes!"

Fox and Falcon stumbled for words, but they found none.

"Yeah," said Sam. "That's what we thought. You can't explain it because there's _no_ explanation for it. There was no excuse for turning on us like that!"

"Some friends you turned out to be," Link said venomously.

"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" asked Luigi. "The enemies we've faced had more honor than you. Even King Koopa has honor."

"Wait—what does that turtle have to do with anything?" Fox asked, flustered.

"You two are so _merged_ with your own self-centeredness," Luigi accused, "that you don't even identify it as self-centeredness anymore. You guys—are _d—ks_!"

He breathed heavily, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

"Oh, geez," muttered Fox.

"Well—that's blunt," Falcon put in.

"It's time to stop," said Ness. "It's time to stop—and that's all I can say. No more. _No more_."

"We've had it up to here with your little attitude," said Link.

"I'm only gonna say this once, Douglas," said Samus. "Cut the crap—or it's over."

"You think you put people through Hell?" Luigi asked, dropping his voice. "It will rain back down on you." He turned to face the others. "Come on, guys. We're done here."

And they all turned and walked away, leaving Falcon and Fox mute—a very rare occurrence.

**…**

"Way to tell it like it is, Bro," said Mario when they reached the Main Hall.

"It was time for me to make a stand," said Luigi. "Thank you—thank you all for backing me up."

"No thanks is necessary," Samus said heartily.

"We sure put those a—hats in their place," cheered Ness. "I have a feeling that they won't be bothering us after today."

"They'd better not," said Link. "I'll come after them, Master Hand or no Master Hand."

Everyone chuckled.

"I'd better get going," said Paula. "See ya, Ness."

"Yeah—see ya."

Paula kissed Ness on the cheek before walking off.

"And I promised Kirby I'd spar with him," said Mario. "You're welcome to join us, Luigi."

"Thanks for the offer," said Luigi, "but right now, I just need some air."

Mario smiled at his little brother. "Luigi—I just want you to know—I'm proud of you," he said. "You stood up for yourselves and for your friends. I don't care what others say—you're a courageous man."

Luigi drew Mario in for a hug. "Thanks, Bro," he said.

They held each other tenderly before separating from the embrace.

"Keep on fighting the good fight, Lil' Bro," said Mario before heading toward the Training Area.

Luigi watched him go before turning to Sam, Link and Ness. "Shall we?" he asked.

Arm-in-arm, the four exited into the Smash Mansion's front yard, inhaling the scent of early autumn and allowing themselves to decompress. But just as they fully relaxed, a car pulled up into the driveway, the driver's side door opening to reveal an ape similar to DK, clad in denim and black shades.

"Wha…?" breathed Samus.

Luigi frowned. "Funky Kong?" he asked.

"That's me," said the ape. "You guys from the Smash Bros?"

"Yeah," said Ness. "What's this about?"

"Yeah—is DK all right?" asked Luigi.

"Relax—he's fine," replied Funky Kong, opening the passenger side doors. "Now get in. DK asked me to pick you guys up. I'll explain everything on the way there."

Samus, Ness, Luigi and Link exchanged a look before hopping into Funky's car, which smelled like banana bread. Funky closed the doors after them before sliding back into the driver's seat.

"Buckle up, everyone," he said as he revved the engine.

The four passengers obliged, and Funky hit the gas and peeled out, leaving the Smash Mansion in the rearview mirror and heading for the open road.

**Please R&R.**


	17. A Good Day for a Swell Battle

**A Good Day for a Swell Battle**

"So, K. Rool's not only out to steal DK's bananas but also to completely destroy DK Isle?" asked Luigi.

Funky Kong nodded. "While DK was fighting in the Smash tournament, that pesky Kremling swooped in and took his family members captive," he said. "After they managed to free themselves with DK's help, they all worked together to destroy King K. Rool's cannons—the cannons which would've been used to annihilate their home. Now, the DK Crew intends to settle this once and for all—by challenging K. Rool to a final battle in his own boxing ring.

"After we recovered our supply of bananas and put the kibosh on K. Rool's latest evil scheme, DK told us about your situation. You know, with everyone giving you a hard time with the tier lists and all. And he's personally invited you to cheer him on in the final showdown against his archnemesis."

"That's very nice of him," said Samus. "We're very glad he's thinking of us."

"And we're glad that he and his family are safe," Link put in.

"This K. Rool—he didn't…" Ness started to ask.

"No—the members of the DK Crew he captured are relatively unscathed, save for some bruises," Funky assured them. "They can't wait to meet you, by the way."

"This K. Rool sounds like a vicious mother," mused Luigi.

"Oh, believe me," said Funky. "He is. However, he's assured us that any visiting spectators will come to no harm. He may be a thorn in our side, but at least he has standards."

"Thank God," said Luigi. "We've dealt with enough b.s. as it is."

"Traffic is pretty light at the moment," said Funky. "We should get there before too long. Would you care for some music?"

"Please," said Ness.

Funky slid a CD into the car's stereo as his four passengers leaned back and enjoyed the ride.

**…**

Funky, Sam, Ness, Link and Luigi arrived at the venue in record time. The four Smashers received special "VIP passes" and were told that the seating area's front row was reserved just for them. Two Kremling ushers escorted them to their seats and handed them a program each.

"Wait!" cried Luigi as Funky turned to leave. "Aren't you gonna watch, too?"

Funky grinned. "I need to get ready for a special appearance later," he replied with a wink.

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

"Hang onto your seats," said Funky. "This is gonna be a wild and crazy night."

On those words, he was gone.

"Hey," said one of the Kremling ushers. "After all of this blows over, I hope we can become friends."

Samus smiled. "We'd like that," she said.

The Kremling usher nodded. "After all—it's nothing personal. It's just good business."

Both Kremling ushers shook hands with the quartet.

"Enjoy the fight," they said before taking their leave.

The venue soon filled up with other Kremlings eager to watch their King in battle. These Kremlings eyed the four Smashers suspiciously, but they otherwise showed no hostility toward them. Whether it was for practical reasons or for a show of good sportsmanship, they had no way of knowing.

Four more Kremlings in chef's attire approached the four Smashers, wheeling a portable table in front of them and setting down four appetizer sampler platters.

"On the house," said one of them.

"Thanks," said Link.

Just as the Kremling chefs departed, the lights dimmed, and a huge cheer went up from the stands.

A microphone with a moustache, clad in a boxing announcer's tuxedo, hopped into the boxing ring and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he boomed. "Welcome to the main event! We bring you twelve 3-minute rounds of boxing for the undisputed heavyweight championship of DK Isle. This event is presented to you by Rare Games, Nintendo and the Dole Fruit Company in association with K. Rool Enterprises!"

Applause.

"Introducing our challengers—the Kong Family!" the talking microphone went on.

A light shone onto a corner of the ring, where the DK Crew was gathered, warming up for the big fight.

The Kremlings booed and hissed, while the four Smashers leaped to their feet and cheered.

"Don't worry about him, DK!" shouted Luigi. "Just go the distance!"

DK spotted his newest friends and gave them a thumbs-up and a grin.

"And please, put your hands together for our champion—His Majesty, King Krusha K. Rool!"

The Kremling King himself descended into the boxing ring on a chain, waving to the crowd. "Thank you!" he said. "You're beautiful, all of you!"

King K. Rool was a giant, hulking alligator with a singular wild, bloodshot eye. He was clad in a royal blue wrestling singlet, red boxing gloves and red boots, one of which had a modest-sized hole in the front. A shiny, gold crown was perched atop his head, simple but commanding respect. As his Kremling constituents cheered, Samus, Ness, Link and Luigi booed and blew raspberries at him.

K. Rool dropped down from the chain, practically flattening the talking microphone. Luckily, said microphone was able to recover and hop to safety as K. Rool punched the air and then raised his arms.

"The judges at ringside are nonexistent, and your timekeepers tonight will act in a fair and unbiased manner!" the talking microphone assured everyone.

"Yeah, right," scoffed Luigi.

The bell chimed.

"Weighing in at a solid 800 lbs., I give you the prime primate—Donkey Kong, in the red corner!"

Luigi and his three companions cheered as the other Kremlings booed.

"And in the blue corner—our King, K. Rool!"

Everyone roared in anticipation as the four Smashers once again booed the villainous Kremling.

"Gentlemen," said the referee, addressing the two fighters. "I want a clean fight. There will be no blows below the belt or to the back of the head. You will follow my instructions at all times and protect yourselves at all times. Good luck to you both, and may the best fighter win."

DK and K. Rool touched gloves before retreating to their corners.

The timekeepers rang the bell a second time.

"Round 1!" announced the talking mic.

"Fight!" commanded the ref.

"Kick his [bleep], DK!" cheered Samus.

For the first minute or so, DK and K. Rool danced about the ring, exchanging jabs and body blows. The Kremling leader was quite the accomplished boxer, compared to DK's brawler style. The four Smashers bit their lips, watching DK take some wicked blows. The contest was gonna be close!

Then, the two combatants took a more pragmatic approach. K. Rool attacked with shockwave-producing ground-pounds, which DK avoided via jumping. Then, a barrel appeared in each corner of the ring, which Luigi was quick to notice.

"Hey, DK!" he shouted down to the giant ape. "Try jumping into one of those barrels! Maybe you can launch yourself at that crocodile!"

DK nodded before leaping into the first barrel he saw.

Anticipating the attack, K. Rool raised his gloved hands in front of him. However, he couldn't resist taunting his nemesis. Taking advantage, DK shot himself out of the barrel and collided with the croc's gut, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Whoo!" cheered Samus. "Not so tough now, are you, K. Rool?"

DK rolled away as K. Rool tried to counterattack and continued to evade those shockwave stomps. Then, he jumped into each of the three other barrels around the ring, turning himself into a hairy missile against his opponent as his four fellow Smashers watched raptly, enjoying their appetizers. After the fourth and final hit, K. Rool spun around a few times before crashing onto the mat.

"Yeah! You did it, DK!" shouted Ness.

The referee started to count, only for the bell to conveniently ring just as he reached eight.

"Saved by the bell!" shouted the mic.

"Fair and unbiased, my [bleep]!" groused Luigi.

K. Rool slowly rose to his feet as DK exchanged high-fives with his relatives. There was a brief time-out as the Kremling leader recovered from his thrashing and the mat was sanitized. K. Rool downed a sports drink and gazed at the four Smashers before whispering something to two other Kremlings.

"What's he up to?" Link asked with a frown.

"Don't engage him," warned Luigi. "It'll only make the situation messier."

A gaggle of Kremling ushers cleared away the four VIPs' eaten plates, replacing them with piping hot entrees and canned sodas.

"Looks good," said Samus.

The ushers nodded and then withdrew.

Quiet settled as the mic took his place in the center of the ring. "And now—making his way into the ring at this time, it's the champ of chimps," he said. "In the red corner—Diddy Kong!"

"Yeah! Go, Diddy!" Luigi called out to his fellow wingman.

DK's nephew, wearing his red baseball cap and red t-shirt, hopped from one foot to the other and did a series of backflips before giving Luigi a wave.

"Friend of yours?" asked Ness.

"I played _Donkey Kong Country_, and we met a few times," Luigi told him. "We have a lot and common, being the second player and all."

Diddy Kong and K. Rool touched gloves before the second round commenced.

For this fight, K. Rool used one of his boxing gloves as a boomerang, testing Diddy's trademark agility. Just one hit from that glove could knock Diddy onto his back, but he flipped himself back up before the ref even started counting. Swiftly, Diddy suited up in a jet pack and blasted off, opening fire on the stage lights with his trusty Peanut Popgun, still evading K. Rool's glove as he did.

"Wait a minute—is that allowed?" frowned Ness.

"With an opponent like K. Rool, you gotta think outside the box," said Luigi.

One by one, the stage lights fell on top of K. Rool, the last one landing directly over his head and bringing him to his knees. Once again, he was saved by the bell during the ref's count.

The boxing ring had darkened considerably, but the Kremlings didn't bother replacing the stage lights during the timeout. They were too busy trying to pull the stage light off of their King. Eventually, he waved them away, choosing to face his next opponent blind.

"He boats the longest reach currently in the world today," said the mic. "Introducing Lanky Kong, in the red corner!"

Lanky was clad in a white shirt and denim coveralls, waving his long arms tauntingly at the crowd. When the match started, he showed off his enviable reach by pressing blue buttons located several inches outside of the ring, which summoned a barrel. Then, Lanky threw the barrel into the middle of the ring, smashing it open to reveal a banana peel. Finally, he provoked K. Rool into charging at him, causing him to slip on the peel and fall flat on his behind. This elicited a laugh from the four Smashers.

"Clever," chuckled Link.

Lanky Kong repeated this strategy three more times before K. Rool crashed onto his back. This time, the corrupt timekeepers rang the bell four seconds into the ref's count.

While a team of Kremlings finally set to work putting up new stage lights, more Kremling minions pulled the stage light off of their King's head. A few more Kremlings checked on the four Smashers, setting out a chocolate cake for them to enjoy. For regular invaders of DK Isle, they were quite hospitable.

"Hailing all the way from DK Isle, it's the girl with the whirl," said the mic. "In the red corner—Tiny Kong!"

The feisty Tiny Kong wore her blond hair in pigtails, wearing a jumper with a sunflower on it into battle. When the round started, Tiny used those pigtails to fly out of the range of K. Rool's ground pounds. Then, she shrunk herself to bite-size and ran into the hole in her opponent's shoe.

"What's she doing?" asked Samus.

"I don't know," said Luigi. "Whatever it is, I hope it's painful."

And it was. A few seconds later, K. Rool yowled in pain, clutching his foot and hopping up and down before landing hard in a seated position. Back to her normal size, Tiny posed for the crowd, and then the entire cycle began again. Evading her foe's attacks with her whirling pigtails, shrinking herself down and then running into the King's damaged shoe to do God-knows-what with his toes. After three repetitions, K. Rool was rendered down for the count, only for his timekeepers to save him in the nick of time.

"Oh, come on!" yelled Link.

A Kremling iced and bandaged K. Rool's foot as more Kremlings stopped by the four Smashers with some ice-cream to complement their cake.

"Tipping the scales at a mighty 2000 lbs., he's the hard-hitting Chunky Kong, in the red corner!" announced the mic.

Chunky Kong glanced nervously at K. Rool, who glared menacingly back at him.

"Don't worry, Chunky!" said DK. "We've got your back."

Relief flooded through Chunky's body before he turned back to face his opponent, adopting a more confident posture.

The fifth round started, and K. Rool started launching himself off the ropes like a wrestler, turning invisible as he did. A button appeared in the middle of the ring, and when Chunky pressed it, it made the croc visible once more. Next, Chunky grew to gargantuan size and moved to a corner of the ring, standing his ground as K. Rool ran at him. As K. Rool pulled back his fist to strike, Chunky acted first, throwing a spectacular straight punch which knocked his foe across the ring.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Ness.

"Wicked cool," agreed Samus.

Chunky raised his arms in triumph and then shrunk back to his regular size, appearing more sure of himself as the seconds ticked by. The cycle repeated several more times, Chunky missing twice and taking a mighty uppercut from the croc. Eventually, however, he got the timing right, putting the Kremling King in his place with that singular straight punch. After three more straight punches, K. Rool fell onto the mat, stunned.

Those timekeepers rang the bell even before the ref started counting.

Chunky joined the rest of the DK Crew in a victory huddle as K. Rool regained his wits and dragged himself back to his feet. Then, the croc beckoned to the mic and whispered something to him.

"_Now_ what's going on?" Sam wanted to know.

"Ladies and gentlemen—we are not done yet," the mic said to the audience. "It appears that four more challengers have been added to the lineup!"

A light then shone on the four Smashers, to gasps and murmurs of astonishment from the assembled Kremlings.

"Wait—what?" asked Ness.

"That's right!" crowed K. Rool. "DK told me a little bit about your little gathering! Think you have what it takes to stand up to me?"

Ness, Link, Luigi and Samus exchanged looks. Then, they fixed K. Rool with a determined look.

"You're on!" they said in unison.

"Do it, guys!" cheered DK.

"First, from the planet Zebes and trained in combat by the Chozo, I present to you, in the red corner—the Space Warrior, Samus Aran!" announced the mic.

Samus changed into her Varia Suit and stepped into the ring, bumping an armored fist against K. Rool's glove before the two retreated to their corners.

The round started.

K. Rool didn't give Sam time to prepare her Charge Shot, dancing in close and throwing crosses, jabs and hooks at her. She blocked his blows with her Arm Cannon and kept him at bay with her Bombs, dropping into her roly-poly form for quick getaway. She also kept him engaged with her missiles and quick fiery bursts from her Arm Cannon. Noticing the belt around K. Rool's waist, she snagged it with her Grapple Beam, easily whipping the croc into the air and slamming him back down. This winded him, allowing Sam to fire a fully charged Power Shot into his chest. It didn't hurt him too much, but it slightly singed his wrestling singlet. K. Rool comically hopped about for a bit in a desperate bid to put out the fire.

And then he laughed.

"Look at you," he said. "A pretty woman in a suit of armor. Take that off, and what are you?"

Samus arched an eyebrow before pressing a button on her Varia Suit. The armor folded outward, and the bounty huntress stepped out, clad in a sky blue sports bra with the Screw Attack emblem in the middle and sky blue leggings. She slid her hair into a ponytail and fastened sky blue gloves onto her hands. K. Rool gawked at her for a few minutes.

"Let's find out," Sam evenly told him. "Shall we?"

She raised her fists as K. Rool hunched his shoulders and charged, sending a left hook into his flank, followed by a body shot to the stomach.

"Oooh…" gasped the audience.

K. Rool shook off the pain and swung at his opponent, who expertly ducked and dodged every punch. Her green eyes shone as she danced back in and let a flurry of punches fly. She sent uppercuts into his abdomen and a haymaker into his jaw. K. Rool's wild roundhouse left swished just above her head, countered with her more precise roundhouse right. She stood in a balanced stance, her arms blocking the punches K. Rool aimed at her face, and then sucked in her stomach to absorb the impact of a body blow. With only a quarter of her wind knocked from her, she ignored the slight throbbing and aggressively moved back in, body swishing left and right as her calculated punches flew, her center of mass staying just out of K. Rool's reach. A few wisps of hair tickled her face, but she blew them aside, weaving all about the ring and giving this oversized croc everything she had.

"C'mon, then," she breathed, sweat rolling down her face and body. "You're the king. Come and take it. Come and take it."

"Don't provoke him," cautioned DK. "He's a formidable foe, despite his goofy appearance!"

Fluidly, Sam's body swished out of the way of a vicious haymaker, keeping her own flow of high and low punches going. "Is that all?" she asked. "I've faced more menacing monsters than you."

"So I've heard," K. Rool said smoothly as Sam danced away from another of his attacks. "Tell you what—after I win, perhaps we can talk more about this over dinner. My treat."

They exchanged some more blows before Sam's eyes fell on the gold plate at the front of K. Rool's belt. Taking a chance, she punched it with all her strength. K. Rool staggered back two paces, and Sam grinned. That was his weak spot! As the final seconds of the round ticked down, Sam landed a one-two punch on the gold plate, followed by another and another and another and another—until she had him trapped against the ropes. But before she could land the _piece de resistance_, the bell rang.

"Typical," she huffed, peeling off her gloves and shaking out her fingers. "Good fight, Your Highness."

"Same," said K. Rool, the two of them shaking hands.

Lanky Kong helped Sam out of the ring as DK handed her a bottle of Gatorade.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" asked the astonished ape.

"The Chozo taught me how to fight hand-to-hand as well as with their weaponry," Sam explained.

"Seems to me that you can fight without your Varia Suit," said DK. "I should tell Master Hand about this!"

"Yeah. Maybe," said Sam.

"All right. Who's next?" asked DK.

"He is," said the mic, indicating Ness.

"Knock him out of the ball park, kid," said Tiny Kong, giving Ness a playful slap on the back.

Ness nodded to the DK Crew before swinging himself into the ring.

"In the red corner, hailing from Onett—here's the PSI Powerhouse, Ness!" cried the mic.

"Okay," said Ness, brandishing his baseball bat.

When the round started, K. Rool once again used one of his boxing gloves as a projectile, throwing it at his young opponent. But with a crisp swing of his baseball bat, Ness sent the boxing glove right back towards its owner. The teen did this two more times, leaving the croc open to an offensive attack. Concentrating hard, Ness directed a PK Thunder into that gold plate on K. Rool's belt, knocking the colossal croc against the ropes.

"Well played, Ness!" laughed DK.

K. Rool reoriented himself and repeated his attack pattern several more times, with Ness responding appropriately with his baseball bat and PK Thunder. On the fifth repetition, Ness used PK Thunder on himself, ramming hard into the center of his opponent's belly. With a groan, K. Rool slumped against the ropes and onto the mat. The ref started his count, the timekeepers ringing the bell in the nick of time.

"That was brilliant!" exclaimed DK as he watched a few Kremlings bring K. Rool back to his senses with some water and smelling salts.

"Yeah!" Diddy Kong chimed in. "Ness, the PSI Rocket! It has a nice ring to it."

Luigi hummed his assent. "I wish I could do that," he mused.

A Kremling tapped Link on the shoulder. "You're up," he said bluntly.

The elf rolled his shoulders. "Here we go," he said, making his way into the ring.

"In the red corner, from the magical land of Hyrule, I give you—Link, the Hero of Time and the bearer of the Triforce of Courage!" announced the mic.

Link drew his sword, and a Kremling handed K. Rool a rapier. The combatants exchanged the fencer's salute before getting into their fighting stances. And then the bell rang, starting the match.

The sound of clashing swords rang throughout the arena as both sides demonstrated their swordsmanship. K. Rool favored a direct, in-your-face approach of full lunges and swipes, whereas Link favored a more graceful and defensive style, seeking to tire out his opponent. After one strike from the Master Sword jarred K. Rool's grip on his rapier, Link quickly lunged forward, lightly poking his foe on the belly. Following the traditional rules of fencing, it was registered as a point. The first person to score five points would win the round.

K. Rool re-engaged Link, and after a heated fight, the elf gave his opponent another poke, this time on the golden plate of his belt. The circling, clashing, parrying, thrusting, seeking for an opening and lunging went on, the Kremling King gaining some traction with his own enviable blade work and trickery. Soon, they were tied at four points each, and Link was losing his breath. However, the DK Crew and their allies wouldn't give up hope.

Suddenly, Navi arrived on the scene, lazily floating around K. Rool. "Hey, listen!" she said.

The croc stared at the faerie in confusion. "Who…?" he started.

He didn't get to finish, as Link took initiative, poking him one last time and scoring the final point. The timekeepers rang the bell so hard that they knocked it from its stand.

"Okay, Luigi," said DK. "The fate of DK Isle rests in your hands. Bring this home for us, all right?"

Luigi took a deep breath. "Okeydokey," he said.

"And now," said the mic, "last but certainly not least, hailing from Brooklyn, New York and an alumnus of Colombia University, in the red corner, I present to you—the Eternal Understudy, Luigi!"

His face like stone, Luigi unhooked his coveralls and whipped off his shirt before re-buttoning the overalls. Then, he faced K. Rool and raised his fists, a bit shakily at first but gradually steadying.

"C'mon, Luigi," said K. Rool. "Come and get it."

The final round started.

The croc dashed at Luigi, who hung back, fluidly dodging K. Rool's punches and only returning with quick, light blows. A few more Kremlings jeered at the plumber's fighting style, calling him a chicken, only for their insults to bounce off of him. Then, Luigi dropped to the ground, throwing out a low kick which brought K. Rool down with him, and threw a fireball at him as he straightened back up.

At this, the ref briefly stopped the match and put a hand on Luigi's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but the use of kicks and fireballs is strictly prohibited during this match. I'll let it slide this time, but if it happens again, then I'll have no choice but to disqualify you and name K. Rool the winner."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "_Now_ you tell me," he said as the Kremlings in the audience laughed at his misfortune.

The timekeepers exchanged a look before restarting the round. Again, Luigi stayed on the defensive, blocking and dodging his opponent's strikes and moving lightly on the balls of his feet, forcing the hulking Kremling to chase after him.

"Stand and fight, p—y!" a Kremling yelled.

The word chafed a bit, but Luigi barely gave it any thought, beginning to slip past K. Rool's guard with a series of one-two punches. Most of his blows targeted the body, especially the croc's flank and the center of his belly. The stage lights winked across his skin as his body dipped this way and that, anticipating K. Rool's every move and lashing back straight and true.

"Ah—there's the brilliant boxer from Colombia U," said K. Rool, landing a good one on Luigi's still-healing jaw. "How come you didn't go pro?"

"Being violent for a living wasn't quite my cup of tea," Luigi explained between haymakers and hooks.

"So you settled for a literally s—y job," quipped K. Rool.

"It's not as s—y as it used to be," Luigi quipped back, catching the croc off guard with a straight right, "and I make better money fixing sinks, toilets and faucets than spending a 9 to 5 day in the sewers."

"Yeah, well—nobody really knows you, do they?" asked K. Rool, aiming a blow at his opponent's hips. "Join me, and I promise that _everyone_ will know the name 'Luigi Mario'."

Luigi smashed the croc hard below the chin. "I'll pass," he coldly responded, following up with a cross to the cheek.

"Your loss," said K. Rool, punching him twice in the abdomen and aiming a blow to the nose, only for Luigi to block it, his body swiveling to the side as his hand speared hard into the croc's solar plexus.

Breath whooshed from K. Rool, but he straightened and continued his attempts to pulverize his foe. But whatever Luigi lacked in size, he made up for it with speed and smarts, heavy blows missing him by a hair's breadth or meeting firm forearms and hard elbows. He feinted, feigning predictable attacks to draw the croc's attention elsewhere. And he was always on the move, flitting flawlessly, his body spinning aside to avoid trapping himself in tight spots. All the while, his fists pumped, just like when he was pounding a punching bag or sparring with a Polygon. Sweat forked down his upper chest, slid along his eyelashes, slipped between compressed lips and cleaved his overalls to his skin, but he kept fighting. The sight of him, holding out against K. Rool, stunned the Kremlings into complete silence.

A lucky blow from Luigi sent K. Rool spinning into his corner. A Kremling approached him then, bearing a pair of sterling silver knuckle dusters.

"Looks like you need some help, Your Grace," said the Kremling, holding out the knuckle dusters to his King.

Samus and Link covered Link's eyes, while Lanky and DK shielded Diddy and Tiny.

"Finish the job," the Kremling went on. "Slash up that plumber's pretty face."

Luigi studied his opponent alertly, fists up, guard up, stance rock-solid. He could withstand a few slashes from a knuckle duster; he had to endure Koopa's claws toward the end of a routine rescue mission. But if K. Rool was _that_ desperate, and unless there was adequate emergency care nearby—

He shoved those thoughts away as quickly as they arrived. If K. Rool decided to accept the knuckle dusters, then he could still handle him. He could handle anything.

K. Rool looked from the proffered knuckle dusters to Luigi—flushed, sweat-sopped and breathing hard—and back again. And then he knocked the weapons out of his stunned subject's hands with a mighty swipe before whirling back on the plumber.

"Ready to finish this?" he asked.

Luigi nodded. "Come on," he exhaled.

His eyes sparked as he met K. Rool's next round of punches, blocking every last one before answering with a smooth and unbreakable rhythm of his own punches, searching out prime areas on the croc's body. He went for the golden plate on K. Rool's belt. He went for his left and right flank. He went for his gut and his solar plexus. And he didn't just attack with punches—he mixed in some open-palm and knifehand strikes, as well.

And then, with just seconds left in the final round, Luigi pulled back, dashed forward and—

_KRIIINGG_!

All of his strength went into the most epic Super Jump Punch anyone had ever seen!

K. Rool twirled around a few times before finally falling senseless onto the mat.

The timekeepers stared, slack-jawed, as the referee counted.

"1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8—9—10!"

The ref walked over to Luigi and raised his arm in victory. "Winner!" he cried.

Samus, Link, Ness, DK and the DK Crew stormed the boxing ring, hoisting Luigi onto their shoulders and celebrating.

"Yeah! We did it!" cheered DK. "We beat him!"

"It was about time," said Lanky.

"I've waited five long years for this," said Tiny. "Way to slug it out, Luigi!"

"Thanks, Tiny," said Luigi.

Then, he turned to Diddy. "You weren't too bad out there, yourself," he said. "I'll put in a good word to Master Hand for you, shall I?"

"Why not?" grinned Diddy.

King K. Rool picked himself back up, still a bit dazed. "DK," he said. "Those four friends of yours really know how to throw it down."

"Indeed," smirked DK.

"Good job, all of you," K. Rool went on, respectfully regarding the four Smashers. "No doubt, our paths will cross again."

"I hope so," Luigi said solemnly.

"But as for you," said the croc, swiveling back toward the DK Crew. "You may have won this battle, but the war is far from over! Just you wait! I'll…"

A whistle cut him off.

Everyone turned.

A well-endowed, anthropomorphic monkey emerged from one of the tunnels, wearing a midriff-baring top and short-shorts. She gave K. Rool a seductive wave before titillating him with various sensual poses.

"Whoa," said Samus, covering Ness's eyes.

"Who the heck is she?" asked Link.

"That's Candy Kong," said DK. "She's my new significant other."

K. Rool was taken by Candy's provocative display, straining against the ropes of his boxing ring and reaching out toward her as she giggled and flirted. Little did he know that Funky Kong was currently striding out of the tunnel on the other side of the boxing ring, a boot mounted on a launcher balanced on one shoulder.

Surreptitiously, DK noticed Funky and motioned for the DK Crew and the four Smashers to get out of the way.

Taking perfect aim, Funky activated the launcher, sending the boot shooting toward the distracted K. Rool. DK, his family and his fellow Smashers watched in amusement as the boot slammed into the croc's butt, sending him rocketing out of the arena. Not long after, there was a distant _thump_.

All of the Kremlings stared in shock for a few moments. Then, they practically stampeded out of the venue, leaving the DK Crew and the four Smashers standing in the ring, all but forgotten.

"Wow," said Luigi. "I guess we can say that K. Rool wound up with someone's foot up his [bleep]."

And they all laughed.

"Thanks for inviting us here, DK," said Ness.

"Yeah—you're a real pal," Sam chimed in.

"Guys, it was my pleasure," said DK. "I hope I didn't miss anything, though."

"You didn't miss much," Luigi assured him. "We'll tell you about it on the way back."

"How about we all go out to dinner first?" DK suggested. "I'm famished."

"So am I," said Link.

"Come to think of it," said Sam. "Me, too!"

Arm-in-arm, DK and his relatives walked out of the arena and toward their favorite restaurant, with his four newest pals not far behind.

**Please R&R.**


	18. Realization

**Realization**

It was as if scales had been dropped from Fox and Falcon's eyes.

Whenever they walked into a room, the temperature dropped twenty degrees. Falcon had received the cold shoulder, and eventually the silent treatment, from Samus since that disastrous Team Battle. Fox could barely hold a conversation with anyone in the C tier, and that went double when it came to Luigi and Link. Their lovely, glossy bubble of a world had popped after Luigi and Ness, backed up by Samus, Paula, Link and Mario, had given them a well-deserved talking-to. In the following days, they couldn't help but take note at how little time they spent practicing; they always thought their wins were guaranteed. But had they spent some time in the Training Area, they would've seen how fiercely Luigi, Link, Ness, Sam and DK threw themselves into their sparring. Even Kirby and Pikachu strove to keep their skills top notch! The truth was staring them right in the eyes; they were just able to avoid it. Until now.

Shortly after Sam, Ness, DK, Link and Luigi returned from their pulse-pounding battle with K. Rool, Falcon and Fox acknowledged that it was time to face the music. They began spending more time in the Training Area, not to flaunt, but to practice. Sometimes with one another and other times with surprised Polygons. They knew something was wrong if the Polygons manning the Training Area barely knew who they were. With each training session, the two pinpointed their weaknesses and started composing strategies to improve their offensive and defensive games. Falcon learned to rely on other moves besides his Falcon Punch and Falcon Kick, and Fox learned that a wall of Blaster fire didn't work on all of his opponents. As their strategies changed, so did their attitudes and stage presence. Their swagger had toned way down, and they began to treat their opponents with the respect they deserved. No more loud bragging and boasting, no more excessive taunting and making avoidable errors as a result. No more endless hours of obnoxiously blasting loud music. No more deliberate provocations of opponents. All of that was over for them. The C tiers had lectured the both of them good and strong after Luigi and Ness's blistering vanquishing of them, and the two turned their words over and over again in their minds. And what they had to say bore a lot of truth.

"This stupid tier list business has everyone f—ed up," Falcon said to Fox over lunch one afternoon. "We were just too full of it to realize that. And now look what we've done."

"Tell me about it," said Fox. "We've spent so many months thinking we could easily ride to victory on someone else's coattails that we didn't even consider that it was our hard work which had a hand in us being ranked so high. Now, barely anyone wants anything to do with us."

"And Sam," Falcon said sadly. "She can't even look me in the eye or talk to me. I hurt her, Fox. I really did."

"We both hurt her," said Fox, "and we both hurt Link and Ness and DK—and Luigi."

"My God," said Falcon. "First, I insulted him in the lounge and we got into a fight. Then, in that hallway, I almost started another brawl just because he won over me. He was trying to tell me something important, but I didn't want to…"

He facepalmed. "What can we do, Fox? What can we do? Look what it took to bring us to our senses."

"I think," said Fox, "that maybe we should start off slowly and earn their trust back. Now that we've hit the bottom, we've got to climb back up. Sometimes, things have to get worse before they can get better."

"You're right," said Falcon, biting his lower lip. "These past few days have helped me realize how much I loved Samus. After that Team Battle, I threw something pure away, and the chances of getting it back…"

"I feel you, man," said Fox. "I've begun to realize that Luigi is the type of someone you'd love to have as a friend—smart, loyal and strong. He was gonna show us so much, but we indicated that we weren't interested. Why? Because some people we don't even know deemed him the worst of the lot."

Falcon sighed. "What in God's name have we done to Super Smash Brothers?" he asked. "This tournament was supposed to be clean and fun and light-hearted, where the best fighter won. But then we took this tier list and turned it into…" He shook his head. "We've broken this d—n thing, and now we need to fix it. We need to gather all of the pieces and glue this casual get-together of Nintendo's finest back together. But will we? And how will we?"

"I don't know, Cap," Fox said morosely. "I don't know. I just don't know."

**…**

As the outdoor temperatures further cooled, and the rain turned to snow, Captain Falcon and Fox McCloud embarked on their mission to right the numerous wrongs they'd committed. They began by creating and committing to a daily routine of practice, exercise and nutrition. They took the time to say hello to passersby, and they stopped treating the Polygons like their personal servants. Also, they acted more and more like the role models they were often touted as, encouraging their fans to demonstrate a more positive attitude and to stop treating the Smash matches as "dog eating dog" or some fight to the death. Their interactions on the Smash Blog also became friendlier.

At the same time, the two began working on the personal relationships that had fallen by the wayside, Douglas especially. He'd come across Samus in the Training Area, sneaking peeks at her in a sports bra and a pair of gym shorts, hair pinned up, working up a sweat as she lit into a punching bag, a Polygon or a fellow Smasher. No quips or anything—just hard, unblinking focus. Captain Falcon would stand there, completely awestruck at her power, wisely waiting till she'd exhausted most of her explosive energy before making small talk with her. She'd remain coolly formal at first, but as the days floated by, she felt the knot of anger loosening from her chest, her hurt and frustration scattering to the wind like grains of sand. With his good looks and smooth way with words, Douglas began to melt her heart all over again.

The same could be said for Luigi. Once he and his pals finally got Douglas and Fox to see their follies, he watched them vigilantly, wanting to see if they took those words to heart. And they did. They clocked in more hours at the gym and took it seriously. Engaged in a match, they held their tongues and exercised more caution. He even noticed that the audience was jeering at him less; seeing the A tiers' jerk jock ways must've given them a wake-up call. Or maybe they noticed how he was no longer reacting to their vitriol and got the hint. Luigi didn't press the matter, instead taking to his blog and trading stories with Isai, Sir Meta Knight and others who decided to follow him. Ever since the latest Team Battle and the adrenaline-packed showdown with K. Rool immediately following it, his temper gradually boiled itself down to a manageable level. Pressure was relieved from his heart, and now that those two were finally laying off on their antics, he was actually starting to move past the brawl in the lounge and the scrap in the hallway. The drunken insults and the punch to his jaw barely mattered anymore. Douglas and Fox had seen the light, realized what they'd done and were sorry for it. It would take more time, but their misdeeds would eventually be erased, and everyone would move past it, whether they entirely forgot about it or not. By taking the opportunity to change their ways, they'd taken a step in the right direction.

Link, Ness and DK seemed to share Luigi's sentiment. Although in DK's case, he had more serious enemies (K. Rool) to deal with, and he wasn't present during the worst of it. But that didn't mean they'd make it easy for them. In Link's case, Fox's words smarted terribly, and in Ness's case, Falcon had really put him through the wringer. Their interactions with the two were coldly formal and curt. It was enough to keep them on their toes, keep them sweating and keep them guessing. They needed to work out the last snarls of their anger before they could truly free themselves of it. Luckily for the trio, Luigi understood perfectly and continued to assume a protective role, remaining guarded whenever the racer or the vulpine approached his fellow C tiers.

DK, Sam, Link, Ness and Luigi were individually pitted against Falcon or Fox in the days following their return from DK Isle. Each fight was glaringly one-sided, and in Luigi's case, the matches got alarmingly bloody. The man in green even wound up disqualified at one point. But the bouts were doing their job, allowing the foursome to release their aggression in boatloads. And they continued to meet up and blow off more steam with their various favorite activities.

Eventually, Luigi felt better enough to invite Falcon and Fox to spar with him. Often, they'd be the ones to extend that invitation, much to the plumber's surprise. In the Training Area or even his room, Luigi would have his favorite tunes on full blast and go one-on-one with two fighters in serious need of a reality check. These spars were still quite tense, but once he saw that they were taking him as seriously as any other fighter, Luigi lowered the walls around his battered heart. But he still wasn't going to get too chummy with them. However, the A tiers were determined to see their self-imposed mission through to the end. With each passing skirmish and match, they softened up the man in green.

Once Luigi started softening his stance, Douglas decided to try his luck with Ness and Jiggs. They were his fellow unlockable fighters, after all, and they'd clicked from the moment they met. He'd organize baseball and basketball games for Ness and his friends to play and set up the teen on dates with Paula. He even gave Jigglypuff an oversized case of brand-new Sharpie pens. It was slow going, but eventually, the two of them took the bait, growing more and more relaxed around the racer. It wasn't long before Falcon was treating Ness, Jiggs and Luigi to lunch or to sundaes at the ice-cream parlor. Or, he'd organize two-on-two basketballs games outside. Or, he'd entice them into playing a few rounds of _Mario Party_ in the Gaming Area. One morning, Falcon grew confident enough to invite the three to his room and break out his own Twister game set.

But they just stared evenly at him.

"Don't push your luck," said Luigi.

It was true that their relationship improved by leaps and bounds in the days, weeks and months following that blowout in the hallway. However, while Falcon was gradually regaining the favor of his fellow unlockables, he still had work to do before the Formidable Four united once again.

**…**

With Luigi, Ness, Jiggs, Link, DK and Samus defrosting toward Fox and Falcon, the A tiers now worked on the rest of the Smashers and made glowing progress. They were sitting in the ice cream parlor, splitting delicious sundaes with Kirby and Pikachu. Or, they were in the lounge, having drinks with Mario and Link. Or, they were strolling around with Yoshi and Jiggs. Or, they were playing board games and card games with some of the fighters. It was visibly clear that the boundaries drawn by the tier list were fading. In spite of this, the vulpine and the racer knew that there was still more work to be done. Things weren't completely back to normal, and they still felt that edge whenever they walked into a room, particularly as far as the C tiers were concerned. The duo figured that they needed one last push to win the other Smashers' forgiveness once and for all. And as the holiday season fast approached, they knew exactly what that singular push would be…

**Please R&R.**


	19. There's No Tier in Christmas!

**There's No "Tier" in Christmas!**

"**Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on."**

**-Criss Jami**

**Truce (n): an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time.**

**-from Google Search**

Christmas Day arrived with a fresh blanket of snow and frosted-over windows. All throughout the Smash Mansion, the Smashers began to stir in their beds—save for two, who were already up.

Ness was the first to awaken, finding a note under his pillow directing him to look under his bed. Upon doing so, he discovered a bright red box with a green ribbon on it.

"What…?" breathed Ness as he removed the box from his hiding place and opened it.

It was a personalized baseball bat!

Ness gawked at the present for a full minute before rushing to the phone and dialing a number.

"Hello?" Luigi's voice sleepily came over the receiver.

"Hey, Luigi! Look under your pillow!" cried Ness.

Rustling as Luigi obliged. "A note?" he mumbled.

"Does it tell you to look under the bed?" asked Ness.

"Yeah. Wait a minute." More rustling, and then a gasp. "It's a present."

"Open it," Ness told him.

Luigi did so and then gasped again. "Oh, my God! It's a keyboard! And here's a small packet of batteries to go with it! Ness—I believe we have a Secret Santa."

"Yeah," laughed Ness. "I'm gonna check in with the others!"

Meanwhile, Samus awoke to not a note under her pillow, but a romantic Christmas card. After reading it, she discovered a box of jewelry under her bed, along with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates. She had a hunch as to who sent these, and why.

The remaining Smashers also awoke to find a gift of sorts under their beds, leading to lively debate regarding who'd perform such a gesture and what would drive them to do so. When they headed downstairs for breakfast, their questions were answered.

Nicely decorated tables and plates full of food greeted them. There were bowls containing fruit, hot chocolate packets and cream and sugar. There were several boxes of donuts and breakfast pastries. There was soft music playing overhead. And greeting them were Falcon and Fox, flanked by a team of professional chefs.

"Merry Christmas, guys!" the duo greeted.

"Wow," Luigi said finally. "You did all of this?"

"Yes," Fox said solemnly. "We hope you like it."

Kirby's mouth watered. "Poyo," he said dreamily.

"Please, have a seat," said Falcon, "and enjoy."

In no time, the Smashers made themselves comfortable, enjoying the special holiday breakfast.

"If you need anything else, like bladed weapons, then don't hesitate to ask," said one of the chefs.

"Thanks for your help," said Douglas as the chefs took their leave.

Then, he turned to Fox. "Which of us should go first?" he asked.

"I'll start," said Fox. He cleared his throat and addressed the ten other Smashers.

"We've been hideous. I know that, and Douglas knows that, and—we intend to take your fury. We've been conceited, selfish—essentially, we've been a pair of ripe b—ds."

"Strong beginning," opined Ness.

"Look, we'll be happy to strip off our shirts and flagellate ourselves before all of you," said Fox. "Or perhaps you can answer a simple question."

"Hm. I'm good with the flagellation," said Luigi.

Fox bit his lip. "What it gonna take for us to earn your forgiveness?"

The other Smashers exchanged looks.

"Well, that depends," Samus finally replied. "Have you sworn off acting like d—ks?"

"Er—for the most part," said Fox.

Everyone stared stonily at the two A-tiers.

"For God's sake, everybody, it's Christmas," said Fox. "I don't know about you, but I wanna celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as a family."

"Which means that we should magically forget what you did for the past eight months," Link put in. "Where did you get that idea from—a movie?"

Fox and Falcon heard the edge in the elf's voice. It should've cut like a razor.

But it didn't. They wouldn't allow themselves to.

Then, Captain Falcon spoke up.

"Jiggs, Ness, Luigi—would you come with me?" he asked, rising from his chair. "I have something very special for you."

Ness and Jiggs sneaked a quick look at Luigi, who nodded, his vigilant stare fixed on the good Captain. Silently, they got up and followed the Captain to a small, private room, where an amazing sight greeted them.

"Whoa," gasped Ness.

The four walls were each painted a specific color to represent the four secret fighters. Gold for Captain Falcon, blue for Ness, pink for Jiggs and green for Luigi. On the circular table waited four plates of cheesy omelets and chocolate chip pancakes. In the center sat some butter and four flavors of pancake syrup. There was also a variety of beverages to choose from, from milk to juice to smoothies. On the different colored walls hung mementoes of each unlockable's home world. Mute City. Big Blue. Onett. Fourside. Pokémon Stadiums and Gyms. Certain landmarks in the Mushroom Kingdom. Even the New York City skyline, the Met and the Apollo Theater. Happy music played from a CD player resting beside the open window.

On a far table sat a cake, with toppers in each of the four's likenesses. It was a half-sheet of cake in the shape of the Smash symbol, created in orange, blue, pink and green frosting. Beside it rested a cake cutter, cake server and four plates.

"_Dio_," Luigi said finally. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks," said Falcon. "It wasn't easy, you know."

"I can make myself right at home here," warbled Jiggs.

"And you even brought pictures of the Runaway Five?" breathed Ness. "Do you have some of their CDs?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," nodded Falcon.

He walked over to the CD player, pressed "stop" and ejected the currently playing CD before putting in another CD, this time of the Runaway Five's greatest hits. The soul music filled the room as the four Smashers sat down to eat.

When all of the omelets and pancakes were consumed, Falcon spoke again.

"I would like this to be a fresh start for the Formidable Four," Douglas said after a while. "In that craze with the tier list, I almost forgot what we stood for. But I've been thinking about it, and—I guess I've been a bit of an idiot."

Luigi, Ness and Jiggs cleared their throats in tandem.

"You were more than just _a_ _bit_ of an idiot," said Ness.

"We could barely stand to be around you," Luigi added frankly.

"Fine—I was a complete idiot," relented Falcon, "but cross my heart and hope to die, that piece of paper will never eclipse the finer things in life again."

"What do you say, L?" asked Ness. "Should we believe him?"

"You know, I'm not quite sure," replied Luigi. "He _did_ say and do plenty of hurtful things, especially to me, that shouldn't be overlooked."

"I regret that I ever did them," said Falcon. "Luigi, you're not the last-place loser or a n—b. You're amazing. You're the better half of the Super Mario Bros. And Ness—you're not just some kid with a baseball bat. You're the kid who defeated freakin' Gigyas. Jiggs, I should've spent more time with you, so if you wanna doodle on my face with your Sharpie tonight, then I won't complain."

"You're just trying to butter us up," said Luigi.

"Well—kinda. But I truly am sorry for everything I've done. Calling you those names, belittling you, pranking you. Luigi, I shouldn't have reacted to you winning over me by punching you like that. Just give me a chance to make this up to you guys. That's all I ask."

"That—that seems fair enough," said Luigi after a beat.

"I agree," said Ness. "It _is_ Christmas, so consider this our present to you."

"Do you forgive me?" asked Falcon.

"Well, we didn't say that," Luigi said crisply.

"Out of the spirit of this lovely holiday, we're willing to offer you a second chance," added Jiggs. "Let it not be in vain."

Tears of joy prickled at Falcon's eyes, which he swiped away. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much. And God bless us everyone!"

"Hear, hear," said Ness.

"Yes! The Formidable Four is back, baby!" cheered Falcon.

"You can bet your Blue Falcon it is," said Luigi.

Luigi, Falcon, Jiggs and Ness then cut the cake, smearing frosting all over each other's faces.

"Formidable Four, always and forever!" they cried.

**…**

Meanwhile, Fox was delivering his own _mea culpa_ to Mario, DK, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby and Pikachu. His audience just regarded him coolly as they continued to enjoy their food.

"What Falcon and I are trying to say," Fox told them, "and I don't know how to find the right way for it…"

Falcon reemerged, with Luigi, Ness and Jigglypuff in tow, and put an arm around Fox. "We're sorry," he stated with finality, "about everything. We were foolish and stupid, and we really miss you hanging around with us."

One by one, the Smashers' faces softened, and smiles stretched across their faces. It was what they'd wanted to hear for so long. Mario stood up and applauded, followed by Kirby, Pikachu, Yoshi, DK—and finally Samus and Link.

Falcon and Fox stood in the middle of it all, holding hands, feeling vindicated.

Slowly, Samus approached Douglas, so many emotions on her face. The racer cupped the Space Warrior's face in his hands. "Sammy, I…"

She shushed him. "I know," she said quietly. They kissed and kissed and kissed.

"Forgive me," the Captain said when they separated.

"I forgive you," Samus softly replied.

"I'll never say something like that to you again," Douglas vowed. "I swear it."

Samus nodded. "Let's start over. Properly, this time."

Douglas grinned. "I couldn't agree more."

The twelve Smashers stood together, eyes twinkling with warmth and friendship, once again regarding each other as equals. Tier list all but forgotten.

"All these months ago, we were strangers meeting for the first time," intoned Luigi. "Now, we're like a family. We _are_ a family."

"He's right," added Mario. "Once the Original Twelve, always the Original Twelve. No matter what."

"Amen," smiled Link.

"Okay," said Ness, placing his hands on his hips and nodding.

"Let's promise never to let some piece of paper come between us again," said Fox.

"I promise," said Douglas.

"Pika," said Pikachu.

"Poyo," added Kirby.

One by one, the Smashers promised to maintain their special, new bond by any means necessary. Then, they went outside to play in the snow, winding up in an epic yet playful snowball fight.

Their first Christmas as Smashers turned out to be the best Christmas ever.

**Please R&R.**


	20. The Elephant Has Left the Building

**The Elephant Has Left the Building**

The Smash Mansion was buzzing with excitement on New Year's Eve. A decade, a century and a millennium was about to come to an end, and the Smashers were more than ready to usher in Y2K. All twelve of them were gathered in the Main Hall, eating puff pastries, crab cakes, sandwiches and all types of desserts as they prepared to send off the 90s in style.

Falcon mingled with the crowd until he spotted Samus, clad in a sparkling, aqua party dress which stopped just above mid-thigh. Her blond hair was styled in bouncy curls which tumbled over her shoulders, and teal eye shadow accentuated her eyes. The Space Warrior smiled when she saw the good Captain approaching her.

"Hey, Sammy," said Falcon, kissing her on the cheek. "Enjoying the party?"

"I am," she replied. "The whole world is watching. This could be the moment when the world's computers fail and all of the airplanes drop from the sky. Or—the New Year will come just like any other New Year, and life will go on as always."

"You know I don't believe that stuff," chuckled Falcon.

"Neither do I," said Sam, "but I have a basement stocked with snacks, essentials, a TV, several music players, the hottest CDs and a Nintendo 64, just in case."

Both laughed softly.

"Well, whatever happens," said Douglas, "we'll still have each other. Right?"

"Right," said Samus.

They kissed, and then they headed over to the dance floor, arm-in-arm.

Meanwhile, Fox was introducing his fellow mercenaries to the other Smashers.

"…and even though Falco and I tend to snark at each other, we're still very good friends," he was saying.

"That's the truth of it," said Falco, his arm around Fox. "After what Andross did to Fox's old man, I was there for him. We avenged James McCloud together."

"You didn't want to participate in this tournament?" asked Link.

"Eh—not really," said Falco. "Maybe if this Master Hand decides to hold another one…"

"Don't worry," said Fox. "I'm sure there _will_ be another tournament. This one has really gained popularity."

"I hope we see you on the battlefield, Falco," said Ness. "You seem like a really nice guy."

"Ditto," smiled Falco.

"Guys," said Luigi when the Star Fox team had departed. "There's someone I'd like you to meet, as well."

An auburn-haired young woman wearing a yellow dress with a sunflower print was on the plumber's arm. "Hi," she greeted cheerily.

"Hi," replied the Smashers.

"This is Princess Daisy of Sarasaland," said Luigi. "Have you guys played _Super Mario Land_?"

"Yeah—that's the one where Mario had to save Daisy from that alien," said Fox.

"I met her shortly after that," said Luigi. "I was instantly smitten with her. But I waited for about two years before telling her I loved her. It was worth the wait."

"It's really nice to meet you all," said Daisy.

"Same here," said Link.

"Y'know, I'm a bit of a tomboy myself," said Daisy. "An affair such as this would be just my cup of tea."

"Mine, too," a dulcet voice chimed in.

Heads turned as a blond-haired woman in a pink dress glided over to Mario and gave him a kiss.

"Oh—my—God," gasped Link. "That's—Princess Toadstool!"

"It's okay—you can call me Peach," said the Mushroom Princess. "Sorry I can't stay for long; I need to head back to the MK to make sure things don't get rowdy during our New Year's Bash. But Mario—wow. You've made a lot of lovely friends."

"I have," said Mario, "and I'm sure MH knows that you're not completely defenseless. You'll get your chance to show off your own fighting skills, never fear."

Peach smiled. "Let's hope we don't wind up sent back to the Dark Ages at midnight," she said.

She kissed Mario on the cheek before taking her leave.

Paula joined the crowd, bearing two cups of soda, one which she handed to Ness. "Thanks for inviting me," she said.

"You're welcome," replied Ness.

"A little birdie told me that Fox and Falcon are back on your good side," she said.

Ness bit his lip. "Not quite," he said, "but we're working on it."

"They seem a lot nicer, though," said Paula.

"Yeah," said Ness. "They get points for that."

"What about Luigi and the others?" asked Paula.

"Well, Samus and Falcon are an item again, DK was attending to a personal matter during the worst of it, and Link and Luigi—I can't speak for them. But we're just taking things slowly."

"Works for me," mused Paula.

They looked toward the dance floor, where Luigi and Daisy were currently sharing a slow dance. Luigi spotted Falcon dancing with Samus not too far away, and a steely glint briefly came to his eyes. Just like Link, he'd grown to care for Sam deeply as a friend, and he hoped she knew what she was doing. The same racer currently holding her close and whispering loving words in her ear, the same racer who surprised his fellow Smashers on Christmas Day, was the same one who called him names and physically assaulted him on at least two occasions. He turned back to Daisy and buried his face into her shoulder as they continued to dance.

"Is everything okay?" Daisy asked with concern.

"Yeah—I'm fine," Luigi softly replied.

Falcon smiled as he twirled Samus and swept her into a dip, and then he glimpsed Luigi giving him the side-eye while he danced with Daisy. So many messages were behind that side-eye, and none of them good.

"Hey," said Samus as Falcon drew her back up. "He needs some time. A lot of hurt was done, and he's still a little upset."

Falcon nodded. "Let's get something to drink," he said.

They headed to the bar, where they saw Pikachu and Kirby sitting at a table together, laughing over something.

"Carry on," said Falcon.

In another part of the Main Hall, Fox traded jokes with Falco, Peppy and Slippy over drinks and a basket of cheese fries. And over his colleagues' heads, the vulpine also saw Luigi. His head was pillowed against Daisy's shoulder, his eyes were closed, and his face—Fox would never forget that look for as long as he lived. The gesture he and Falcon pulled off on Christmas was only the icebreaker. It wasn't the beginning of the end—it was the end of the beginning.

_This Y2K thing is starting to look better in comparison,_ he thought.

"Uh—Fox?" said Peppy. "Something on your mind?"

"Nah—just these rumors about the world's computers," said Fox, just as Luigi's eyes snapped open, searing into the mercenary leader.

Fox looked away and then told his Star Fox colleagues another joke.

**…**

There were less than 15 minutes remaining until the big ball drop. Luigi stood in the Smash Mansion's backyard, a Poppin' Purple Tanqueray in his hand, mulling over the events of the past year—and of the past decade. He was so excited and so nervous, because he had no idea where the New Year, the new decade and the new millennium would take him. And at the stroke of midnight, his boots would begin to tread along that new road—while carrying the scars he'd obtained along the old road with him.

His jaw had fully healed from Falcon's punch some time ago, but the same couldn't be said for his heart. Even the racer's Christmas present to him, to the rest of the Formidable Four and to the other Smashers wasn't enough. He left a mark—and it would always be there, staining their once-pristine friendship.

Because a piece of paper had inflated the good Captain's ego.

And Fox's too.

He'd agreed to give both of them another shot, and nothing else. He wasn't automatically gonna get mushy with them again just because of a big breakfast and some grandiose speeches about how sorry they were. He appreciated those gestures, and he appreciated the efforts they were putting in to change. But the fact of the matter was—he'd still have the memories. They'd follow him after the tournament long concluded, when he was back in the MK. And they'd linger at night when he was trying to get some sleep.

The man in green lifted his glass to his lips and took another sip, feeling the cool night air around him. He would learn to trust Douglas again, and he'd learn to trust Fox again. Things wouldn't completely return to the way they were, but they'd be pretty d—n close.

"Luigi…"

He turned. Fox and Falcon stood there, also nursing drinks.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Falcon.

"A lot," said Luigi. "Leave it at that."

"Look, L," said Falcon. "What we're asking of you and the others is hard. We accept that. But I think we've done a really good job."

"Yeah? Well, it's only been six days," said Luigi. "I don't know if you're gonna slide into that behavior again."

"I can assure you that we won't," promised Fox. "But we just—we just can't end the decade like this."

"I know," Luigi said softly, "but I look at you and—I can't forget. But if you truly mean what you said, and if you're really willing to change your ways, then we can make it work."

Fox and Falcon nodded.

"I'm sorry I punched you," said Falcon. "It was stupid and wrong, and I showed poor judgement."

"As did I," said Fox.

"I'm sorry, too," murmured Luigi.

"What the Hell for?" asked Falcon.

"Getting on your case about Sam. It was none of my business. If I hadn't, then maybe you wouldn't have lashed out like that."

"Luigi, you were right," said Falcon, "and if I'd listened, then maybe I wouldn't have lashed out."

"And while you instigated the incident in the lounge, it wasn't right for me to take the bait," Luigi went on. "We'll share the blame for that. Deal?"

"Deal," said Falcon.

"There we go," said Fox. "Let's start Y2K on a hopeful note."

He strode forward and held out his hand to Luigi.

Slowly, hesitantly, Luigi took it.

Falcon slung his arm around Luigi's shoulders, and the three of them walked back inside.

**…**

The twelve Smashers sat around the television, falling silent as the ball started down. So many prospects and promises were behind that 60-second descent, so many goals that seemed unreachable at first but could be accomplished as time passed. An air of suspense hung as the ball's descent continued, everyone holding their breath and bracing themselves for the moment their whole world went dark and the latest technology was rendered useless. The chances of that actually happening were slim, but still.

And if it didn't happen, then the prospects would be even brighter and sweeter. Many things could happen in the decade, century and millennium to come. There could be another Smash tournament, and even another one after that—and these tournaments could grow even bigger. The Smashers could embark on more adventures, together and apart. And while more mistakes could be made, people could also learn from them.

Samus slipped her hand into Falcon's, and they smiled deeply into each other's eyes. Fox exchanged looks with his Star Fox crew. Mario laid a hand on Luigi's shoulder as they sat together, along with Ness, Jigglypuff, DK and Link. The younger Mario Bro locked eyes with Fox and Falcon—and he nodded.

10—

9—

8—

7—

6—

5—

4—

3—

2—

1—

The clock struck twelve.

And the world kept on turning.

"Happy New Year!" everyone shouted as the Main Hall erupted in a shower of confetti and ribbons.

Douglas swept Samus into a tender kiss, and Ness did the same with Paula. The Mario Bros just hugged wildly, while everyone else blew their party horns. Polygons served sparkling grape juice to everyone, and they toasted to the new millennium before filing outside, where the sky came to life with a fireworks display.

Master Hand had joined his Smashers outdoors, and now he observed the scene unfolding before him, his eyes misting over with pure happiness. That tier list had put these new friendships to the test, but in the end, the Original Twelve had found their way back to each other.

**The End**

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Please, stay safe!**


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